Margot Robbie is reportedly set to front the next Pirates of the Caribbean film, with Johnny Depp possibly returning to the franchise in a supporting capacity, according to sourcing from Deadline.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer made the announcement at D23, where he confirmed that negotiations with Depp are ongoing. "We're talking with Johnny, we're working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done," Bruckheimer said.
Insiders told Deadline that the sixth installment will be built around Robbie's protagonist, with Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow serving as a side character — a structure the outlet describes as "essentially, an evolution of the franchise."
The combination of the two stars in one film marks a significant shift from how the franchise's future had previously been taking shape. Depp appeared to be finished with the franchise by 2018, when original Pirates screenwriter Stuart Beattie indicated Disney was moving on from his version of Jack Sparrow.
In May 2024, Bruckheimer said two separate Pirates movies were in development: a reboot and a female-led film starring Robbie, though the actress has yet to be formally cast in the film.
That picture began to change by September 2025. Bruckheimer revealed at a press conference for The Wrap that one of the two scripts had "kind of dropped out" while confirming Robbie was still involved with the project moving forward. Now, the latest version appears to bring Robbie and Depp together.
The groundwork for Robbie's involvement stretches back to June 2020, when Disney announced she was attached to a female-fronted Pirates film, written by Christina Hodson. That project was conceived as a wholly original story under the franchise's banner rather than a continuation of the existing saga. Bruckheimer confirmed in September 2025 that the two development threads were converging.
For Depp, the Pirates talks arrive amid a broader Hollywood comeback. He leads Paramount's Ebenezer, a high-budget A Christmas Carol adaptation opening Nov. 13. A Lionsgate thriller, Day Drinker, is also in the pipeline for 2027.
