Pirates of the Caribbean 6 seems to be finally moving forward. The movie got new writers, namely Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott, who are working on its script right now. According to the producers, the upcoming installment remains in development. Still, its success hinges on the return of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Bruckheimer, the producer, shared the information regarding the project’s development, emphasizing that the main focus lies on writing the script that would impress Johnny Depp.
This information comes on the heels of recent reports about Depp not coming back anymore, which was refuted. It appears that Bruckheimer is keen on using him once more. However, there is only one condition for that. As the producer said recently, Johnny Depp may return “only if he likes the way the part’s written.”
Update from the PGA Awards and CinemaCon sheds light on Johnny Depp
Bruckheimer spoke during interviews and mentioned his upcoming projects at the 2026 Producers Guild Awards and during the CinemaCon held a month later. The producer made it clear that everything depends on the script and not on anything else. He mentioned the importance of creating an appealing script that would make Depp want to take part.
This comes as a result of the recent developments that took place last year. Then Johnny Depp declared, when asked about his participation in the franchise, that he wouldn’t participate under any conditions, even if the offer were to come directly to him. However, things seem to change as time progresses.
Two ideas in motion with “passing the torch” angle for Pirates of the Caribbean 6
Bruckheimer confirmed the presence of not just one idea for this movie, but two, although their nature was left undisclosed. The director specified that one of them focuses on the passing of the torch, which implies that they will probably create something with a connection to Jack Sparrow’s offspring or some other member of his family.
As for the casting, Orlando Bloom confirmed his interest in returning. However, Keira Knightley announced that she doesn’t intend to do the same thing. Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is just another project in the competition among the movies from Bruckheimer, and is behind Top Gun 3 in priority.
Disney hasn’t set any dates for the release yet, but considering the number of years that the project has already been in development, it should come out either in late 2029 or early 2030, which would mark 25 years since Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. They may reveal more details at D23 Expo in August 2026.