Spanning five films, five theme park rides, a dozen video games and endless merchandise, it’s safe to say that Pirates of the Caribbean (POTC) is one of the most beloved Disney franchises of all time. However, given its popularity, why haven’t we seen a new Pirates movie in over eight years?
Cast your mind back to the post credit scene of POTC: Dead Men Tell No Tales (or ‘Salazar’s Revenge’ for those of us not based in the United States); a reunited Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are asleep in bed, when the shadow of Davy Jones enters the room. Will promptly wakes up and assuming it was a nightmare, goes back to sleep, unaware of the barnacles lying on the floor next to the bed. It’s fair to say that the POTC franchise was very much left on a cliffhanger; so why haven’t we seen a sixth movie – and will we ever?
Box Office vs. Critical Reception
While critics largely gave Dead Men Tell No Tales negative reviews, long-time fans remained loyal – as evidenced by its strong box office performance. With a global haul of nearly $800 million against a budget of $230–320 million, Dead Men Tell No Tales was financially successful.
With that kind of return, a sequel would usually be a no-brainer. It’s common for sequels and remakes to flop both critically and commercially, often leading studios to throw in the towel. But this wasn’t the case with Pirates.
The Sixth Film That Never Came
In fact, prior to the release of POTC: On Stranger Tides (the fourth Pirates movie), it was reported that Disney were planning to shoot the fifth and sixth Pirates films back to back. In 2017, both director Joachim Rønning and producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed that Dead Men Tell No Tales would not be the last film in the Pirates series.
Later that year, actress Kaya Scodelario, who played Carina Smyth, stated that she was contractually signed to return for a sixth movie. Despite all this buzz, the news around a sixth Pirates movie seemed to tail off, until the year 2020, when the future of the franchise became far murkier.
Multiple Films, One Messy Timeline
In 2020, Jerry Bruckheimer stated that the first draft of the screenplay for the sixth film was soon to be finished. Later that year, Disney revealed plans for a female-led spin-off starring Margot Robbie – separate from the still-in-development sixth Pirates film.
However in 2022, Margot Robbie said that the Pirates spin-off was no longer going forward. Despite this, Jerry Bruckheimer (yep, this guy again!) stated that the project wasn’t dead and just needed more work. He also stated that another spin-off movie was in the works, separate from the one starring Margot Robbie.
That meant three projects were supposedly in the works: the sixth mainline film, the Robbie-led spin-off, and a third, separate spin-off Bruckheimer teased in later interviews.
More recently in 2024, Jerry Bruckheimer (seemingly the voice of the franchise by this point!), provided additional clarity to the status of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he confirmed that two Pirates movies are currently in the pipeline: a reboot (technically the sixth film in the franchise) and the long-rumoured Margot Robbie-led spin-off. He noted that the reboot would be an entirely new cast, however hoped that Johnny Depp would make an appearance.
Will the Original Cast Return?
Interest from the original cast has been mixed. Orlando Bloom expressed a desire to return in 2023, while Keira Knightley stated that her character had already ‘sailed away in brilliant style.’ During his infamous defamation trial with Amber Heard, Johnny Depp declared he had no intention of working with Disney again. However, a 2023 People magazine report suggested Depp might be open to returning under the right conditions.
What Has Disney Actually Said?
Despite all of this anticipation, teasing and speculation, we are still yet to have any official communication as to the status of the Pirates franchise. The last we’ve officially heard from Disney about the POTC franchise was back in 2023 when Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, stated that restarting the Pirates franchise was a priority for the studio. Ironically, amidst all this Pirates circus, Sean Bailey stepped down as president in 2024 – so honestly, who knows where we are now!
Real-World Roadblocks
Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike slowed down any momentum the Pirates movies were gathering. While most updates have remained optimistic, the timelines remain frustratingly vague.
According to the reports and interviews, we could potentially have three movies on the horizon, however, it doesn’t seem as though we are any closer to seeing these released.
Is It Too Late to Continue the Original Storyline?
I grew up on the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and adore the franchise, so personally I’d love to see more films in the future, however it very much feels like the ship has sailed on the storyline from the first five movies.
If a sixth Pirates movie were to happen, we’d likely be looking at 2027 – a full decade since Dead Men Tell No Tales. At that point, it’s questionable whether the franchise could realistically continue the story of Henry Turner and Carina Smyth.
Key Events in the Pirates Franchise Timeline
2011 – POTC: On Stranger Tides (4th film) is released
Plans reportedly begin to shoot the 5th and 6th films back to back.
2017 – POTC: Dead Men Tell No Tales (aka Salazar’s Revenge) is released
Director Joachim Rønning and producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirm it’s not the final film.
Kaya Scodelario reveals she’s signed on for a sixth movie.
Post-credit scene teases the return of Davy Jones.
2020
Jerry Bruckheimer says the first draft of Pirates 6 is almost complete.
Disney announces a female-led spin-off starring Margot Robbie.
Reports of a third Pirates-related project (another spin-off) begin to circulate.
2022
Margot Robbie says her spin-off is no longer moving forward.
Bruckheimer claims the project is still alive and just “needs more work.”
2023
Orlando Bloom expresses interest in returning.
Keira Knightley says Elizabeth Swann’s story is complete.
During his defamation trial, Johnny Depp declares he won’t work with Disney again — but later that year, he’s reportedly open to a return under the right conditions.
Disney’s Sean Bailey calls rebooting POTC a “priority” for the studio.
2024
Jerry Bruckheimer confirms two movies are in development:
- A reboot (technically the 6th film, with a new cast)
- The Margot Robbie spin-off (still on the table)
Sean Bailey steps down as President of Walt Disney Studios.
Ultimately, we’re still left in the dark about the future of the franchise, but here’s hoping that the franchise isn’t completely dead and we can see more movies in the future.
Jerry Bruckheimer, if you’re reading this – what’s the latest?!
Steamboat Charlie 
I really hope they do continue with a sixth film! Thanks for the insight.
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