Pirates of the Caribbean’s Original Writer Returning for Next Movie

One of the original Pirates of the Caribbean writers is returning for the franchise’s next film. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise began as a film inspired by a Disney attraction, with the first movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, hitting theaters in 2003. Curse of the Black Pearl impressed critics and audiences, becoming a global blockbuster, making over $650 million worldwide. Gore Verbinski was at the helm, directing a cast that included Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, and Johnny Depp in his first go-around playing Captain Jack Sparrow, a character that would become beloved among fans while also nabbing Depp a Best Actor Academy Award nomination.

Following the success of The Curse of the Black Pearl, two sequels were shot back to back, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Both films received mediocre reviews but still managed to outdo the original in terms of box office revenue. Having wrapped up stories for Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann and Bloom’s Will Turner, the franchise then moved on with Depp’s Sparrow becoming the sole focus in the following two sequels, 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and 2017’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. And while both films still found financial success, they received the worst reviews in the franchise, which has been dormant since. However, a new movie is said to be in development.

According to Comicbook, Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer stated that one of the original writers of the franchise, Ted Elliott, is returning to work on the next installment. However, Bruckheimer didn’t mention any details about what to expect from the story but ensured the script is actively being written. Check out Bruckheimer’s comments about the new Pirates of the Caribbean film below:

“We’re just working on the screenplay. One of the original writers, Ted Elliott, is helping write it. He has a great command of the characters.”

Elliott shares screenplay credit with Terry Rossio on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and the duo continued to collaborate on the franchise through the fourth installment, On Stranger Tides. Elliott did not work on the script for the fifth film, Dead Men Tell No Tales, while Rossio received story credit, with Catch Me If You Can scribe Jeff Nathanson receiving screenplay credit. With Elliott back for the next film in the franchise, audiences can hope that it will steer itself back toward what audiences loved about the original film, correcting the lackluster mistakes of the sequels.

No characters have been confirmed for the sequel. And while audiences still love Depp’s Sparrow, his recent public legal battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard has made his return doubtful after he said he wouldn’t return, even for $300 million. Still, the last film teased the return of Knightley and Bloom’s characters, as well as Bill Nighy’s Davy Jones, leaving room for other characters to retake the spotlight. Further details on the next Pirates of the Caribbean film will be forthcoming as the project develops.