Johnny Depp is moving on from his hit franchise Pirates of the Caribbean as Disney officials prepare to reboot the film series.
The actor has appeared as Captain Jack Sparrow in all five movies over the past 15 years, but scriptwriter Stuart Beattie has appeared to confirm Depp will no longer feature in the revamped releases.
“I think he’s had a great run,” he tells DailyMailTV. “Obviously, he’s made that character his own and it’s become the character he’s most famous for now. 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 is convinced the character will be Depp’s “legacy”, as the Disney role helped to cement his status as a heavy-hitter in Hollywood.
“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. Because he wasn’t a proven commodity; you know, a big movie star,” he says. “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.”
“They (studio officials) were certainly nervous watching the rushes everyday but when it all came together, something just clicked and it was magic and connected with audiences,” Beattie adds. “I’m proud to be a part of it.”
According to the writer, Deadpool’s Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are working on the new script, and while Beattie has yet to be invited back to the franchise, he is still holding out hope for a call.
“That would be great,” he says. “I would love to. I mean, I love that world and love the people that make those films so yeah, I would love to be involved.”
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