Should Disney revive its Pirates of the Caribbean movies?

October 24, 2018, 12:01 PM · Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Disney is in talks to reboot its Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. And the studio is talking with the writes behind the Deadpool movies to do it.

Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the top movie franchises of all time, earning more than $4.5 billion in worldwide box office. It is by far Disney's most lucrative effort to date to transform a theme park attraction into a film franchise, so it's understandable that the company would want to keep the money flowing.

The five-film series debuted in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The first sequel, 2006's Dead Man's Chest, earned the most of the five films at U.S. box office, with $423 million. It was all down the waterfall from there, though, with each subsequent movie earning less domestically, though 2011's On Stranger Tides topped $1 billion worldwide.

The fifth film dropped only last year, so it seems a bit early to be talking about a reboot. But with Disney planning its release schedule years in advance, if it wants to clear a slot for a new Pirates film, the sooner it gets a script, the better for the studio.

The writing team of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick won raves for their work on Deadpool, which brought a heightened sense of the sarcasm and snark that helped make Pirates a hit. Much of that was due to the performance of Johnny Depp, who's now moved on to the role of Gellert Grindelwald in Warner Bros.' Wizarding World franchise. No word whether he would be involved in any new Pirates films. It's probably too early in the process to know that.

But the Captain Jack Sparrow character popularized by Depp endures in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean attractions around the world, which Disney retconned to include the character after the movies hit big. Disney even revamped the narrative of its all-new Pirates installation in Shanghai, to follow the film series. That installation currently tops of our reader-selected list of the world's top 50 theme park attractions.

Should Disney revive its Pirates of the Caribbean movies? Is there anything fresh that the studio can do with this story? If so, what would you like to see?

Replies (28)

October 24, 2018 at 12:22 PM

If they reboot I would like to see Redd as the lead character and have Karen Gillan play her.

October 24, 2018 at 12:56 PM

No

October 24, 2018 at 1:37 PM

It is too soon to start the series again.

October 24, 2018 at 1:38 PM

The Pirates ride in Shanghai is hands down the best theme park ride in the world right now.

This technology used must come to Orlando. It simply must !

October 24, 2018 at 1:39 PM

Nah, let it drop. It was Depp's performance that made the first movie a hit because it was so out there and original that audiences had to check it out. By the fifth, it was a parody of itself and frankly can't see anyone else pulling it off.

Sure, you can try a new set of characters and such but there has to be more potential in fresher ideas than reviving a series that outstayed its welcome.

October 24, 2018 at 1:47 PM

I can now do without Depp but I still looked forward to new films being released. If they wanna shake it up, mash it with another property. Mix Pirates and Haunted Mansion together and see what comes out! :D

October 24, 2018 at 2:04 PM

It's dead Jim.

October 24, 2018 at 2:13 PM

I cant seem to get enough of pirate movies/shows so sure give it a shot.

October 24, 2018 at 2:18 PM

I think the reduction in earnings is symptomatic of the general box office landscape. Personally, I still enjoy Captain Jack's antics, but I think the 2nd and 3rd films were the weakest in the franchise. They had lots of great concepts, but they were REALLLLLLY long and it felt like they were dragging out what could've been done in 1 film. What I enjoyed about parts 4 and 5 was that (while they were kind of dumb) they moved at a quick clip and didn't take themselves seriously.

I think they should continue the momentum of the previous film's storylines and have Jack in there for one more movie. It was already kind of a soft reboot. This time, maybe they could introduce Redd in the film as its main protagonist and have her be an old flame of Jack's but make them have kind of a funny dynamic where she totally one ups him every step of the way. Then kill him off like he sacrifices himself to save her or something.

October 24, 2018 at 3:11 PM

I only enjoyed the first film and felt all the sequals to be too fantastic and unbelievable for me to enjoy. I really wanted to see more realism like the ride portrays but only got that from the first film. That being said I love Depps performances and Jacks character in general. I went to see some of the sequals just to see Depp, knowing that I probably wouldnt like the film.

October 24, 2018 at 3:51 PM

Yes. Please make more.

October 24, 2018 at 4:19 PM

Don’t reboot the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Johnny Depp was a perfect role for these movies and you should leave Pirates of the Caribbean the way it was.

October 24, 2018 at 4:28 PM

No, and remove the movie crap from the rides. Return them to their original configuration. Yes, I do realize that's considered non-politically correct. I don't care.

October 24, 2018 at 4:37 PM

Mash Pirates with Deadpool and kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

October 24, 2018 at 5:25 PM

How can you revive a franchise that had something come out last year?!

October 24, 2018 at 5:37 PM

Going with the Redd narrative suggestion from Jeffery H from above, here is a short list of actresses that could take on the role to lead the next PotC films:
Emma Stone
Emma Watson
Margot Robbie
Brie Larson
Sophie Turner
Saoirse Ronan
Jennifer Lawrence
And as a long shot...Miley Cyrus!

October 24, 2018 at 5:36 PM

No...

October 24, 2018 at 9:28 PM

They took “Dead Men Tell No Tales” and made a movie that doesn’t resemble the ride in any angle. The series is just too far gone.

October 24, 2018 at 9:48 PM

Anton M is RIGHT!

Ignore Dead Men Tell No Tales $794,861,794 WORLD WIDE box office success.

October 24, 2018 at 9:55 PM

Terrible idea. Not only would it be suicide without Depp, the public has clearly shown fatigue in the franchise judging by the last film's receipts (in addition to just being a lousy movie).

Disney's better off doing something Pirates related for their upcoming streaming service.

October 24, 2018 at 10:13 PM

No, dead men should stop telling tales. The point the films are at right now is a good conclusion point for the whole franchise and declining box office numbers indicate that the interest just isn't there anymore. While the series started strong, the series quality has been declining with each installment and I've got a feeling only Depp enthusiasts (and perhaps longtime fans) are likely to be interested in future films. A reboot could potentially lose both groups and fail to find a new one. I agree with some of the other suggestions...do a streaming show centered on Redd and/or other characters directly pulled from the ride, not a new film franchise that's destined to bomb.

October 25, 2018 at 6:32 AM

They should reboot it as an animated film. Or a broadway musical. Or both!

October 25, 2018 at 11:54 AM

The franchise that needs rebooting is Star Wars. Remove all the Darth Vader is Luke's father nonsense and Anakin nonsense and return to the original Darth Vader killed Luke's father storyline. If anything it will not make Obi Wan look like a fool for telling Luke a lie. I know it's not going to happen.

October 25, 2018 at 4:30 PM

Yes to having Redd being the main character but i would just give up on Jack Sparrow at all at this point.

Make her own pirate without pulling in Sparrow basically.

Unless the new Red Head figure and walkabout character was indeed made to one day replace him, then i say good for that.

They know they can't keep Sparrow around forever and the fact that an idea of a reboot would creep up one day would have to be addressed.

The fifth movie wasn't enough to keep interested in Jack's character anyways and i for one just want them to start all over with it.

October 25, 2018 at 10:15 PM

I just appreciated the main film and felt all the sequals to be excessively incredible and mind blowing for me, making it impossible to appreciate. I extremely needed to see more tsuki ga michibiku isekai douchuu manga authenticity like the ride depicts yet just got that from the primary film. That being said I cherish Depps exhibitions and Jacks character all in all. I went to see a portion of the sequals just to see Depp, realizing that I presumably wouldnt like the film.

October 26, 2018 at 2:11 AM

The Pirates of Caribbean films are modern classics, they are my all time favorite disney films. I hate that the film industry can't leave great movies alone. Johnny Depp made Pirates of the Caribbean a hit, it was his phenomenonal performance as Captain Sparrow that makes those films what they are and they would not have made billions without him. Disney is crazy to reboot a film that doesn't have Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow. He is the heart of what makes them special. If they reboot this without Johnny Depp, it will flop. If they do another installment with the same actors, but different writers that's fine, I guess. Although, I did think that this last movie was the worst of the bunch, mainly because of the storyline and Jack's characterization. But to try and replace the magic they had with Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow is a huge mistake and will only upset fans of the film. It upsets me now, because they just can't leave well enough alone. Don't do it Disney!

October 28, 2018 at 3:53 PM

no, please just no...

The first, was fun, so much fun, I still love watching it, the second and third I don't dislike, but they drag on way too much, too big for one for film, too self indulgent and bloated for two.

The last two, if it wasn't for great casting of the villains (I love Bardeem, Cruz & McShane) but otherwise, those movies were terrible (some great moments in 4, but 5 just awful)

Maybe focus on some of the other rides... that Indiana Jones ride... I think they could make a great movie with that character

October 28, 2018 at 9:26 PM

It's never too early to reboot! Amazing Spider-Man 2 came out in 2014 with Andrew Garfield, and by 2016, Tom Holland was already the new Peter Parker, with Spider-Man: Homecoming out in 2017.

I'm tired of Johnny Depp, personally. He brought a lot to the character of Jack Sparrow, but as an actor, he's kind of in the same boat (pun intended) as the likes of John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. Glory days are behind him and he's just a shell of his former self.

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