Johnny Depp 'dropped' from Pirates of the Caribbean franchise

26 October 2018, 11:39 | Updated: 26 October 2018, 12:43

According to reports the Depp will no longer be starring when the franchise returns to the big screen.

Johnny Depp will no longer be playing the iconic Jack Sparrow in future Pirates of Carribbean films according to new reports.

Scriptwriter Stuart Beattie, appeared to hint at 55-year-old Depp's departure during an interview with Daily Mail TV, in which 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, so I'm just very, very happy about it."

He added: "I think Jack Sparrow will be his legacy. It's the only character he's played five times, it's the character he dresses up in to visit children in hospitals, it's what he'll be remembered for."

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Speaking of Johnny Depp's first foray into Jack Sparrow, Beattie claims it was a big risk casting Depp in the role as he hadn't done any huge blockbusters yet.

He explained: "Before Jack Sparrow came along, [Depp] was considered this kind of quirky, independent actor that made these really cool little Tim Burton films but he was by no means a movie star and a lot of people thought we were crazy for casting him at the time.

"Because he wasn't a proven commodity; you know, a big movie star. And we were making a big movie and we were putting this quirky, independent actor in the middle of it and people thought we were crazy. The fact that it worked is a miracle.

"They were certainly nervous watching the rushes everyday but when it all came together, something just clicked and it was magic and connected with audiences. I'm proud to be a part of it."

The news comes after it was reported Disney has signed two new writers to pen the script for the new instalments of the franchise, after recruiting Deadpool's Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

The last movie Depp appeared in was Pirates of the Caribbean was Dead Men Tell No Tales in 2017, which earned the least out of all the films.