Maybe this is a blessing in disguise since this is a reboot we don’t really need but it looks like the new take on Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean has hit a snag. The project is now in limbo as the writers have apparently jumped ship.
Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, the writers behind the Deadpool franchise, were on board to pen the reboot but now it appears the duo is out, despite early enthusiasm for getting them on board. Disney hasn’t revealed why the pair won’t be moving forward on the film but maybe it’s just the general creative direction they wanted to take. Disney film production chief Sean Bailey was vocal in his excitement about the hiring, telling reporters and colleagues that the scribes were going to “make Pirates punk rock again” and give the franchise a much-needed “kick in the pants” that would revive the off-kilter charisma the brand exuded in its early days.
Bailey’s decision to reboot the franchise came about because of Johnny Depp’s recent public troubles and his steep salary. The franchise was built around his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow and instead of moving ahead with more films featuring Depp, it was decided to start over.
Now that the writers aren’t on board anymore, the future of the franchise seems uncertain. Some say a search is already underway for viable replacement options, others say the once-proud flagship of Disney’s live-action fleet may be dead in the water. This is something Disney doesn’t want since the franchise, despite the diminishing quality, has grossed $4.5 billion worldwide and $2.5 billion more in global merchandise since it first set sail in 2003.
