A Pirates 6 return had the potential to net Johnny Depp a very handsome $22.5 million, according to the details in his very public court case with ex-wife Amber Heard. Now, Johnny Depp is synonymous with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, portraying the incredibly iconic Captain Jack Sparrow in the 2003 original The Curse of the Black Pearl, and then ever since. The franchise has become incredibly successful (financially), but the quality of the films has seemingly slipped over the years, but one thing was always present, and that was Depp as the angelic Sparrow.
There were plans for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film (this franchise will just keep going and going it seems) that would have seen Depp return to the role, with Dead Men Tell No Tales director Joachim Rønning also returning. However, Depp was removed from the project – along with the Fantastic Beasts franchise where he played Grindelwald – due to Depp’s then-wife accusing the actor of domestic abuse. The accusations alone were enough for the two franchise’s studios to rethink their plans without even knowing the “truth” – and as Depp said, he was guilty until proven innocent.
Depp’s lawyer claimed that his client had lost a lot of money due to being dropped by the projects, estimating the figure to be around the $40 million mark. And in the same account, it was said that Depp was looking at gaining $22.5 million if he was to make a Pirates 6 return. It was always going to be a huge sum of money for Depp to return, he is basically the franchise, and without him, what is there to watch? Most of his former co-stars from the previous films have left for pastures new, but Depp was still carrying the franchise on his back.
But as we know, it’s not all about money, and Depp’s decision to turn his back on the franchise is a noble one. The series that he led for nearly two decades is one that will surely struggle now that they don’t have their star man at its helm.
