At a recent press conference, the cast and crew of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales discussed the future of the Pirates series, including what we may see in Pirates 6.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has been marketed as the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but is there more? There have been some reports that the series will continue with the same directors at the helm for Pirates of the Caribbean 6, but director Joachim Rønning says, “the only thing we’re hoping is that they will continue making them.”
This does not necessarily mean that Rønning and Espen Sandberg would return if the series continues, but Rønning wants it to continue because, “as fans of the franchise we love it.” Rønning says, “Now its up to the audience” if the series continues, and with the opening weekend box office gross, it looks possible.
Movie franchises do not only have to stick with continuing the main narrative now. Already with Harry Potter and Star Wars, the worlds have expanded with spinoffs, which break away from the original characters. When asked about the possibility for Pirates of the Caribbean spinoffs, producer Jerry Bruckheimer said he has yet to hear anything, “but you never know.”
Bruckheimer is, however, interested in continuing the series, especially bringing back Davy Jones. Jones’s return is hinted at in the post-credits scene, and Bruckheimer says, “he is such an iconic cinema character. He is brilliant. Bill Nighy’s interpretation is awesome.”
With the conclusion of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, there is one character that likely will not return. Following Barbossa’s death, Geoffrey Rush responds about returning to the series, “I think it would undermine the kind of impact it had on me, and the kind of impact it had on my own daughter.”
Outside of his personal connection with the character’s death, he also says, “I think with the motion of the selfless sacrifice, you cheapen that if you do something that [brings him back]… They could come up with something, but I did say to Jerry Bruckheimer ‘I think this is the end for Barbossa.’”
Barbossa did already seem to die at the end of The Curse of the Black Pearl, but was brought back because he was instrumental to the continuation of the series. When asked if something like this could happen again with Barbossa, Bruckheimer responds, “you never know with us. We always bring characters back because we love them.” Rush does not seem completely opposed to returning to the series because he says “[Barbossa] could come back like Hamlet’s father, as a ghost. Just to annoy Jack.”
Barbossa’s death not only has an effect on the overall story, but also a specific character. It is revealed in Dead Men Tell No Tales that Barbossa is Carina’s father. When asked about Carina’s future, Kaya Scodelario says, “I’d love to see her taking the reigns from daddy Barbossa. I’d like to see if she wants to incorporate her love of astronomy and horology into being a badass pirate. I think there could be something quite interesting in that.”