Pirates of the Caribbean producers, reportedly, hoped to give Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow a proper send-off, but it might never happen.
As the private life of Johnny Depp is now being exposed in his ongoing court battle against The Sun, it affects not just his image but also the Disney bosses’ plans for his iconic character. Allegedly, they wanted to give Amber Heard’s ex a cameo role in the new Pirates movie, led by Margot Robbie.
The trial of Johnny Depp that dismayed the producers
According to Daily Star, producers were working on storylines that would pave the way for Sparrow’s appearance.
“They were working on storylines to bid him a fitting farewell from the franchise,” a Hollywood source told the publication.
However, with the plague of substance and domestic abuse allegations, it, reportedly, dismayed the Disney executives.
The 57-year-old has been in the headlines due to his libel case against The Sun, which named him a “wife-beater.”
Another defamation trial that’ll take place in the US, Disney, reportedly fears it’ll further tarnish his image.
In six months, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will again face each other at a hearing in Virginia in January 2021. It will be about the Washington Post article the 34-year-old actress wrote.
“I became a public figure representing domestic abuse,” she claimed. “I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.”
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The hopes for Captain Jack Sparrow’s return
Disney and the Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer remain mum about the legal issues of Johnny Depp. However, a studio insider revealed Bruckheimer was still hoping they could still give him even a small scene, Buzz.ie noted.
“They both realize that, whether Johnny wins his cases or not, he is likely to be viewed as box-office poison in these sensitive times,” the source explained. “But Jerry was hoping there might be a way to get him on board for a small scene.”
Despite Bruckheimer’s hope, Disney executives, reportedly, decided to drop Sparrow four days after the actor’s UK trial began.
LA crisis management expert Howard Bragman even said that if Johnny Depp managed to win the case, it would still leave a negative impact on him.
“His aggressive legal actions could backfire in the public sphere,” he said.
“It would have been nice to see Captain Jack get a big screen send-off,” media analyst Mike Raia added. “But, in today’s climate, it would probably be commercial suicide to put him in a major movie that will have an almost entirely female cast.”
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