Margot Robbie In Talks To Replace Johnny Depp In Pirates Of The Caribbean

Bruckheimer spent a lot of time discussing his most recent project, the big-budget sequel Top Gun: Maverick, which has received rave reviews so far.

It presently has a 97 percent fresh rating from critics polled by Rotten Tomatoes, and many of the positive reviews compare it to the 1986 original, which starred Tom Cruise as well.

However, in discussing some of the biggest male stars of the last few decades, such as Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Chris Hemsworth, Bruckheimer stated that there were fewer female stars who carried the same box office weight.

‘Women are harder. It’s just not that strong a list yet,' he said.

However, the producer revealed that he and Margot were still working on a new Pirates project.

'Yes. We’re talking to Margot Robbie,' he continued. 'We are developing two Pirates scripts — one with her, one without.'

In June 2020, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Robbie was slated to feature in a spinoff film in the franchise written by Christina Hodson, who also penned the critically acclaimed Harley Quinn picture Birds Of Prey, which flopped at the box office.

Given the fickle nature of Hollywood projects, Bruckheimer's admission that Robbie is still in talks shows he's serious about getting the new feature made, though it's unknown if Hodson is still on board after their superhero collaboration fizzled.

A second Pirates Of The Caribbean film without Robbie was also mentioned by the rich producer.

Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin and Pirates writer Ted Elliott were said to be working on a remake of the main series before the announcement of the spinoff film.

The Hollywood Reporter reported in October 2019 that it was unclear whether Depp will return to appear in the film, but Bruckheimer dismissed the possibility.

When asked if he would return, Depp told The New York Times, 'Not at this time,' but added, 'The future is yet to be decided.'

After suing his ex-wife Amber Heard for slander, the Edward Scissorhands star is currently embroiled in a bitter legal battle.

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During his trial, Depp stated that he would not reprise the role even if Disney offered him all of the money "on this earth."

Heard's lawyer Ben Rottenborn said in court: 'The fact is, Mr. Depp if Disney came to you with $300 million 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? Correct?'

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And Depp agreed: 'That is true, Mr. Rottenborn.'

The 58-year-old actor explained how 'there was a deep and distinct sense of feeling betrayed by the people that I've worked hard for. People that I delivered a character to that they initially despised, but I stuck to my guns with the character and it seemed to work.'

Robbie appears to be diversifying out following two recent box office failures, including last year's The Suicide Squad, which failed to recoup its original budget.

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She'll next be seen in David O. Russell's drama Amsterdam, alongside Christian Bale and John David Washington, and a stellar supporting cast that includes Taylor Swift, Mike Meyers, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Oscar winners Robert De Niro and Rami Malek, among others.

She'll also star in La La Land director Damien Chazelle's film Babylon as silent cinema actress Clara Bow, and she'll continue her new history of working with renowned auteurs in Wes Anderson's film Asteroid.

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