Posted on 10/29/2018 1:29:17 PM PDT by Red Badger
Johnny Depp has been dropped from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” according to the film franchise’s original scriptwriter Stuart Beattie.
Disney Studios plans to reboot the billion-dollar franchise and will be axing Depp, Beattie told DailyMail TV at a recent red carpet event in Hollywood.
The 55-year-old Depp had played Captain Jack Sparrow—a major role in the five “Pirates” movies over the past 15 years.
“I think he’s had a great run. Obviously, he’s made that character his own and it’s become the character he’s most famous for now,” Beattie said.
“And kids all over the world love him as that character so I think it’s been great for him, it’s been great for us, so I’m just very, very happy about it.”
Beattie called Depp’s rise to stardom and the films’ successes a “miracle.”
“Before Jack Sparrow came along, [Depp] was considered this kind of quirky, independent actor that made these really cool little Tim Burton films, but he was by no means a movie star and a lot of people thought we were crazy for casting him at the time,” Beattie told DailyMail TV.
“Because he wasn’t a proven commodity; you know, a big movie star. And we were making a big movie and we were putting this quirky, independent actor in the middle of it and people thought we were crazy. The fact that it worked is a miracle,” he added.
“Something just clicked and it was magic and connected with audiences. I’m proud to be a part of it,” Beattie said.
The “Pirates” series debuted in 2003 with “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.” The series has since grossed $4.5 billion worldwide, making it the 12th highest grossing film series of all time.
The most recent “Pirates” release was “Dead Men Tell No Tales” in 2017. It was the worst performing of the five.
“I think Jack Sparrow will be his legacy. It’s the only character he’s played five times, it’s the character he dresses up in to visit children in hospitals, it’s what he’ll be remembered for,” Beattie said. Reboot
In plans for the “Pirates” reboot, Disney has met with writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, according to Deadline.
The two writers are best known for their work on the “Deadpool” blockbusters released in 2016 and 2018. Beattie confirmed with Daily Mail TV that Reese and Wernick are working on new “Pirates” script drafts.
Depp will appear next as Gellert Grindelwald in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” the second film in the “Fantastic Beasts” series, which is the prequel to the “Harry Potter” series.
The actor has experienced a backlash from fans since May 2016, when then-wife Amber Heard filed for divorce and requested a restraining order against Depp on grounds of domestic violence.
In May this year, Depp’s former bodyguards filed a lawsuit claiming unpaid wages and poor working conditions. In July, Depp was sued by a film crew member whom he allegedly punched twice on a set of a movie about the killing of rapper Notorious BIG.
...with meth teeth
The old actors are, well, OLD!
Reboot = new actors, new stories, new fans = new $$$$$$................
Depps a basket case....not sure the guy’s going to change either.
Haven’t seen any of these movies.
In fact, out of curiosity I just pulled up Depp’s IMDB profile and I’ve only seen 2 of his movies!
I could actually envision a Small World horror movie. You are onto something!
Sorry Johnny Depp. Too much money, too many drugs, too hollow an ego, too bad, so sad.
Wow, someone who’s too freaky for Disney.
Depp’s mental stability worried Disney, too. Look, even normally Left-leaning CEO Robert Iger realized politics is starting to kill the highly valuable Disney brand, and that’s why they dropped Depp and even have de-emphasized politics at ESPN.
“Obviously, he’s made that character his own”
He stole the character from Keith Richards.
I differ with the article, I believe Depp was a star before pirates. I know he’s a liberal mess, but he’s had some great roles. I would pick Donnie Brasco as his best, followed by What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.
I read that the studio is in talks with the writers for “Deadpool”. No word on what direction any new film will be going, but it would be nice to see a different story line with new characters. I liked Geoffrey Rush as an actor, and enjoyed his character Barbossa in the series.
The Pirates movies are good, for their genre.
Funny, dramatic, and entertaining......................
Keith Richards played his dad..............
But knowing Disney will be replaced by a lesbian Jackie Sparrow who is constantly asserting grrl pwwr.
_______________________________________________________
My bet is a one-legged (gotta have the physically challenged represented), black tranny that identifies as a furry squid.
Maybe they couldn’t get a completion bond on him for a decent price?
(at one time I thought they had them on some actors, too)
Dunno
Edward Scissorhands was great!..................
Yes, as a actor depicting strange characters he is unequaled.........
I think his “father”, Keith Richards looks better than he does.
Good grief, not another reboot!! Stop!!!!
Five “Pirates of the Carribean” were too much for me. Only the first one in the series and the fourth one (”On Stranger Tides”) had plots you could actually kind of follow. The other three movies had plots that were so muddled with silly complicated action scenes and nonsense dialogue, it was hard to tell what the h*** was going on.
I liked “On Stranger Tides” the best because it was about the pirates/English(including Ian McShane as Blackbeard) and the Spanish Armada (all dressed in black and sporting large crucifixes) were both going after the Fountain of Youth.
When the Spanish finally arrived at the Fountain (marching and holding large banners with crucifix crosses on them), the Spanish commander declared “Only God can grant eternal life, not this pagan water.”
Then he ordered his men to tear down the fountain, and the Spanish soldiers pulled it down with ropes. Then the Spanish soldiers crossed themselves and marched back to their ships. I’m Roman Catholic, so I absolutely loved this scene LOL.
Hey, sometimes you have to hand it to the Catholics, they don’t mess around when it comes to certain things. :0)
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