Johnny Depp is denying he has been in talks for a “Pirates of the Caribbean” comeback.
Fans flooded the web with joy after a source told Poptopic he was in negotiations for a return as Captain Jack Sparrow in a deal worth $301 million (about R4.9 billion) – plus a donation to a charity of the actor’s choice from Disney.
But a representative of the actor, 59, dismissed the rumour on Tuesday, declaring: “This is made up.”
Watch video:
Original “Pirates of the Caribbean” script writer Stuart Beattie was the first to publicly confirm Disney Studios were ditching Depp as Sparrow in 2018.
He said: “I think he’s had a great run. Obviously, he’s made that character his own and it’s become the character he's most famous for now.
“And kids all over the world love him as that character so I think it’s been great for him, it’s been great for us.”
Depp’s legal team claimed his 2018 ditching from “Pirates” cost the actor a $22m pay day after his ex-wife Amber Heard, 36, published her “Washington Post” op-ed that year which didn’t name Depp but clearly branded him a domestic abuser.
Depp was the major lead in five Pirates movies over the past 15 years, and made what was thought to be his final appearance in 2017’s ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’.
A source this week told Poptopic he had been in talks with Disney about a $301m deal after he won his six-week defamation trial against Heard.
The insider claimed Disney were interested in mending their relationship with the “Edward Scissorhands” actor and had apparently contacted him with an offer.
They added: “They reached out to the actor prior to his defamation trial against Amber Heard and asked whether he would be interested in returning for another pirate film or two.
“The deal is reportedly for Johnny Depp to return as Jack Sparrow in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’ and a spin-off Disney+ series about the early life of the captain of ‘The Black Pearl’.”
The source said Disney was also offering a “sizeable donation” to a charity of Depp’s choice as a sweetener.
Depp previously declared he would not work with Disney again after he was ditched from the sixth Pirates movie, saying he felt he was “guilty until proven innocent” with the company’s bosses.