Pirates of the Caribbean could be getting reboot treatment from Deadpool writers

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl released in theaters almost 15 years ago and has since launched a huge film franchise based on the popular Disneyland ride. Five films later, the franchise is now the 12th highest grossing film saga of all time, and after last year’s release of Dead Men Tell No Tales, a sixth film seemed ever more likely. But, now the rumor is that Disney may be wanting to reboot the franchise, with writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick helming the new story.

Best known for writing the Deadpool movies, Deadline first reported the story that Reese and Wernick are in talks with Disney to reboot the Pirates franchise. One needs to remember that right now its only a rumor and no official word from Disney has been made yet, but if it were to be green-lighted Jerry Bruckheimer would continue on as producer. The main question now is: will Johnny Depp or any of the other actors from the films be involved going forward?

The word “reboot” is thrown around Hollywood a lot these days, but there are two possible directions Disney could end up doing. One, the film could possibly continue the story from the previous films and write out Captain Jack Sparrow and company and focus on new/previously minor characters.

Second, Reese and Wernick could wipe the slate clean and ignore the previous films. This could have someone else step into Captain Jack’s shoes or introduce a completely new cast. Disneyland did just introduce a new pirate captain by the name of Captain Red, after all.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was a phenomenal success when it was released back in 2003, but the sequels have struggled a bit, having gained mixed reviews. Despite the mixed reviews, these movies have done pretty well in general. Although Dead Men Tell No Tales only made $794.9 million worldwide last year, making it the second-lowest grossing entry in the film series.

Pirates of the Caribbean 6 was confirmed to be happening, but it seems now Disney wants to take the franchise in a different direction. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have plenty of blockbuster success right now, so they could put a fresh, invigorating spin on these swashbuckling pirates.

What do you think about Pirates of the Caribbean being rebooted? Let us know in the comments.