The most recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie, 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales, was deemed a box office disappointment, but it still made nearly $800 million worldwide. Disney isn’t ready to let a cash (sea)cow float away, which is why the studio is working on a reboot, sans Johnny Depp. Or it was, until hitting a major snag: writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who wrote the screenplays for Deadpool and Deadpool 2, have departed the project:
Disney insiders say Reese and Wernick are no longer working on a sixth installment in the swashbuckler series that has grossed $4.5 billion in worldwide box office and $2.5 billion more in global merchandise since it first set sail in 2003… Insiders are divided about what happens next. Some say a search is already underway for replacement options, others say the once-proud flagship of Disney’s live-action fleet may be headed to dry-dock for good. (Via)
It’s unclear how Reese and Wernick went from “[making] Pirates punk rock again,” in the words of Disney film production chief Sean Bailey, to setting sail for less choppy waters (ocean puns!), but no matter what happened, it’s not promising news for the reboot. On the bright side, at least Disney (which isn’t exactly lacking in successful franchises) saved a lot of money on scarves.
(Via Deadline)
