Johnny Depp Losing Interest in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 4’

The fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film, “On Stranger Tides,” has only the wacky Captain Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, and what promises to be a good story to rely on, since stars Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley have already moved on from the franchise to pursue other projects. As luck would have it, Depp too might be considering a departure out of loyalty to a dear friend, former Disney boss Dick Cook, Empire Online informs.

Cook, who left Disney more or less willingly over this past weekend, was also the one who convinced Depp to go the Disney way, and try to walk the plank with the “Pirates” movies. Now that he’s gone, it could very well be that Depp too will follow suite, since he no longer has anything to tie him down to the studio – and, as Empire points out, because loyalty to Cook would ask him to do so. In other words, this could be the end for the “Pirates” franchise.

“It’s early days yet, but it already seems that the sudden departure of Disney chairman, Dick Cook, could have a major effect on the company’s upcoming roster – namely, ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.’ All seemed to be plain sailing for the fourth movie in the Pirates franchise – last week, at the Disney D23 Expo, Cook and Johnny Depp – in full Jack Sparrow regalia, as he’s wont to do at Disney presentations – announced the new subtitle, and a sneak peek at the plot, in which Cap’n Jack will set off in search of the Fountain Of Youth. But Depp himself cast doubt on the status of the new sequel over the weekend when he called the LA Times, in reaction to Cook’s departure, and said, ‘There’s a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment… It was all born in that office.’” Empire says.

As several other movie-oriented publications also point out, with Depp’s definite contract pending a “quality” script and Cook’s departure being set in stone, it could very well be that Depp backs out on the project once the script is done. After all, it is being said, he did mention from the start he would only commit to the project after he read a final script – and now that Cook is no longer with Disney (presumably because many of the movies the studio recently put out disappointed at the box-office), Depp has one reason less to stick with the “Pirates” franchise.

“And with a deal for ‘Pirates 4’ only provisionally in place, and based on the quality of the script, it seems that Depp’s commitment to what had seemed like a set-in-stone tentpole may be wavering out of loyalty to his friend. And you’d imagine that with no Depp, and no Cap’n Jack, there’ll be no audience appetite for a new ‘Pirates’ movie.” Empire also points out. Then again, it’s still early to call it a day for the franchise – and Disney is bound to release a statement soon concerning it, so keep an eye on this space for when that happens.