Disney has been quietly developing a Pirates Of The Caribbean reboot for a while now. With the series waning thanks to a series of mediocre releases, decreasing box office returns, and Johnny Depp‘s fading star power yet continued high price tag, it makes sense for a fresh start.
Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, writers of Deadpool, were courted by Disney reboot the series last October. However, the duo have now reportedly left the project. Sean Bailey, Disney’s Film Production Chief, had been visibly excited that Reese and Wernick were going to “make Pirates punk rock again”, and revive the franchise.
But that is no longer the case. It’s unclear why Reese and Wernick dropped out, but they are very in-demand right now thanks to Deadpool, so they certainly aren’t short of offers.
What this means for the Pirates franchise is debatable. Disney will either continue to search for writers to pen the reboot, or perhaps shelve it altogether. There were rumours that the studio was trying to develop a TV series based on the property, but the high production costs make that unlikely.
We could all probably use a break from the franchise that has become a shell of its former self. The brand itself feels practically dead, and Depp is no longer the bankable star or kind of person any studio should want to base a franchise around.
The most likely course of action is that Pirates is shelved for a few years, then “heroically” returned to us down the line. To inexplicably make another billion dollars at the box office, probably.
#Peace.Love.PiratesOfTheCaribbean
