It has been a long time since the last Pirates of the Caribbean film, but producer Jerry Bruckheimer just provided a promising update for the future of the franchise.

It has been seven years since Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales was released in theaters, but it appears fans won’t have to wait much longer for a new installment. In a recent interview with Collider, Bruckheimer confirmed that two scripts are simultaneously in development. “We are working on it,” Bruckheimer said. “Jeff Nathanson is working on a script. We have another one…We have two, and we don’t know who’s gonna win the horse race at this point. But hopefully in the next month, I’ll have a script, and maybe Disney will want to make it.” Nathanson, an acclaimed screenwriter known for Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal, also wrote the previous film in the franchise, Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Though plans were set in place for a sixth film in the franchise after Dead Men Tell No Tales, the film never got off the ground due to director Joachim Rønning leaving the project due to creative differences. In 2020, a spin-off starring Margot Robbie was announced and despite Robbie’s comments indicating that the project was no longer happening, Bruckheimer recently insisted that the project was still in development and that they were still interested in Robbie as the lead.

Will Johnny Depp Return to the Franchise?

Disney took a risk back in 2003 when they released Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The film was not exactly a prized IP at the time, but in fact, it was based on their popular Disneyland ride. However, the risk paid off and Johnny Depp’s outlandish, yet undeniably charismatic performance as Jack Sparrow would come to define the franchise for years. Depp was reportedly in talks to star in a sixth installment, but Disney decided to cut ties with Depp after his ex-wife, Amber Heard, accused him of domestic abuse. However, public opinion shifted after the infamous defamation trial between Heard and Depp, and the possibility of Depp returning to play Jack Sparrow was back on the table.

There have been no official announcements concerning Depp’s return, but Bruckheimer isn’t exactly closing the door on a potential comeback for Jack Sparrow. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bruckheimer discussed the possibility of Depp being involved in the reboot. “It’s a reboot, but if it was up to me, he would be in it,” Bruckheimer said. “I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s an amazing artist and he’s a unique look. He created Captain Jack. That was not on the page, that was him doing a little Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards. That was his interpretation of Jack Sparrow.”