After the grueling six-week-long defamation trial between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, many are wondering about their return turn to Hollywood. Fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean star hoped to see the actor return to the franchise. However, a representative for the actor has confirmed that he will not be returning to the movie franchise.
A source close to Johnny Depp told E! News that rumors of the actor returning to play the role of Captain Jack Sparrow were “made up.”
Fans were thrilled to hear about the actor’s return after a source dropped the bombshell to Poptopic. The interviewee, who was reportedly close to Disney, stated that Depp would be paid $301 million to return to the Pirates franchise after he was fired from Disney following the abuse allegations made by Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard.
The source also claimed that Disney is “very interested” in reconciling with the actor. They also mentioned that Disney had reached out to Depp before the actor’s recent court proceedings “and asked whether he would be interested in returning for another Pirates film or two.”
The source added that they were willing to offer the deal to the actor if he returned to the sixth Pirates film. Disney also wanted the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory star to act in a Disney+ spin-off series about the early life of the “Captain of the Black Pearl.”
Poptopic reported that the draft for the film about Jack Sparrow was already in the making as the production was “very hopeful that Johnny would forgive them.”
Johnny Depp testifies in court that he will not be returning to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise
Johnny Depp and his former wife and actress Amber Heard were involved in a well-documented defamation trial in Fairfax, Virginia, not long ago. The Edward Scissorhands actor sued Heard for $50 million after she claimed to be a victim of domestic violence in a 2018 The Washington Post op-ed. Heard went on to sue Depp for $100 million.
The exhaustive legal battle ended on June 1, with the court unanimously voting in favor of Johnny Depp. Amber Heard also won one out of the three claims.
During the trial, Heard’s defense attorney Ben Rottenborn questioned Depp on whether he would return to the Disney franchise:
“If Disney came to you with $300 million dollars and a million alpacas, nothing on this earth would get you to go back and work with Disney on a Pirates of the Caribbean film?”
Johnny Depp testified in court and said,
“That is true.”
Depp also told the jury that he felt “betrayed” by Disney after they fired him from the popular franchise. Speaking about the work he did in the Pirates movie series, he said,
“Having added much of myself, much of my own rewriting, the dialogue, the scenes, the jokes, I didn't quite understand how after that long relationship and quite a successful relationship with Disney that… suddenly I was guilty until proven innocent.”
Although Depp will not be returning as the beloved Pirates character, he will be playing the role of Johnny Puffin for the Amazon Prime and Apple TV series animated web series Puffins Impossible. Depp has also been cast as King Louis XV in the French movie Jeanne du Barry.