I knew this was coming. After the catastrophic failure of The Lone Ranger, it’s widely known that Disney will write off a $190 million loss. In the aftermath, Johnny and co-star Armie Hammer blamed the critics (ha!). Johnny went even further and threatened to retire. That’s actually not a bad idea. Johnny should really take a few years off and come back with some marvelous indie flicks. Let us see what we’ve been missing all these years, you know? But no.
Johnny forged ahead with his plans to make Pirates of the Caribbean 5 because why not? He earned $350 from the first four movies, and you know he loves the “stupid money.” He’ll even quit a modest little biopic if they don’t pay him $23 million.
Sadly for Johnny, Disney is starting to get cold feet about Pirates 5 and has pushed back production. We won’t see the movie until at least 2016 — if that. Why did this happen? Jerry Bruckheimer makes dumb movies all the time. Of course it’s Bruckheimer’s fault too, but I tend to place more blame for The Lone Ranger debacle upon Johnny Depp. Why? Ego. Johnny thought he could do anything — even plop a dead bird on his head — and audiences would pay to watch it. Read it and weep makeup tears:
The next installment in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise will be delayed beyond its planned summer 2015 release date, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer says the decision to push Pirates of Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which is set to return Johnny Depp to the Capt. Jack Sparrow role, was made because of script issues. He is hopeful that the film can be ready for summer 2016.
“We have an outline everyone loves but the script is not done,” Bruckheimer revealed in an exclusive interview with THR.
The move comes in the aftermath of The Lone Ranger’s failure at the box office this summer. Disney has said that the $250 million-plus production from the team behind the Pirates movies could lead to a $190 million write down for the studio.
Asked whether the potential price tag of the next Pirates film played a role in the delay, Bruckheimer replies, “It’s all a factor. We want a script that everyone’s signed off on and a budget that everyone’s signed off on.” (Such projects have cost as much as $300 million in the past.) Coming up with a great script is “always hard,” Bruckheimer says, and after this summer, “everybody’s more cautious.” The summer saw several costly movies underperform.
Disney now hopes to keep the cost of the fifth Pirates movie under $200 million – a goal the studio is unlikely to meet. But bringing in Kon-Tiki directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, who made their film on the water for a price, should help keep costs down. Nonetheless, industry observers have anticipated a tough negotiation between Disney and Bruckheimer, given the size of the Lone Ranger write down.
Bruckheimer says it was necessary to push the project because “we’re supposed to start in March and you start spending a lot of money now.” According to the producer, the Pirates filmmakers weren’t happy with screenwriter Jeff Nathanson’s initial script, and he’s now at work on a second attempt based on the well-received outline. But Bruckheimer asks, “How do you budget an outline?”
A source says the studio thought the original Nathanson script “was too expensive but it was also really complicated and hard to follow.”
Asked whether he’s still confident that the project will come together, Bruckheimer says, “With any movie, you’re never confident. But it’s a billion-dollar franchise.” The last Pirates movie, 2011’s On Stranger Tides, grossed $1.04 billion
[From Hollywood Reporter]
I know it sounds like I’m being mean to Johnny. I acknowledge that he is a kind soul and a legitmately nice guy, but he’s truly lost the plot. He’s forgotten why he came to Hollywood in the first place. He’s lost sight of the wonderfully weird character actor that he used to be. He hides behind makeup and weird costumes. I want the old Johnny Depp back. Perhaps he’ll stop pouting and realize that The Lone Ranger failed for good reason.
Side note: Do you think that Johnny’s artist girlfriend, Amber Heard, will stick around if Pirates 5 fails to happen?
Photos courtesy of AllMoviePhoto and WENN
Hopefully it’s pushed back to “never”.
Last one was woeful!
Agreed. I stopped watching after the second one.
Who on God’s green earth would even want to see a Pirates #5. Johnny doesn’t have the clout he used to have and do like Leo, take some time off.
Perhaps what we’re seeing here is Karma is taking its due
How many more are they going to make? I feel like this is like beating a dead horse, it’s enough already. leave it alone.
I know right? Does anybody even want to see any more of these movies? I was done after the third one tbh
*slowly raises hand*
I have an inexplicable fondness for the Pirates series.
Love ’em to bits. They’re good fun and full of great quotes that make an appearance when my friends and I have a few too many drinks ^^
I blame Hans Zimmer. Every time I hear the score I go a bit nuts.
Yes, people do, and thus the movies make money. I don’t think most movies should be made, but heck, someone is going to see them, so they get made. Just flipping through the tv listings should tell you that people watch pure crap, and they do so over and over and over again!!
@Amelia I forgive you cuz you listen to Zimmer 😉 his music is flawless. @Amory can’t argue that, I mean, there’s a new Fast and Furious movie that’s being made as we speak -_-
Exactly. People are tired of seeing Johnny Depp play Johnny Depp in yet ANOTHER quirky Johnny Depp movie. Frankly, I think people are pissed off at the studios who obviously think that movie goers are SO STUPID that they will keep paying their good money (in the worst economy since the great depression)to go see lackluster sequels again and again. Enough is enough.
Yes, you do sound mean. He is just having a bad phase in life. Called Amber phase
Amber Alert
I don’t think the op is mean at all. Those pirates movies are crappy crap. Johnny is all about integrity until it comes to feeding his wallet. These movies are juvenile tripe and should have ended after three…max.
Amber is using Johnny to get ahead in her career, but the I don’t think it’s mean to point out that he’s having a midlife crisis and making a boatload of bad decisions as a result.
Instead of family, his life these days is about recapturing his youth. Which is kinda crazy, because it doesn’t sound like he particularly enjoyed those empty years.
I too want the old Johnny back (one of my all-time favorite moves if Benny and Joon). He’s all about the money now.
He sold out and that makes me sad. And he became a cliche as a 50 year old dating someone half his age. It’s funny how he always seemed to be about the art but even his peers like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, both same age and came up the same time as JD, haven’t sold out as much as JD has.
And Pirates 5…no thank you…it has become the Rocky and Halloween of franchises now, they just don’t know when to quit and it’s the same old thing each time.
Oh Johnny, I will always love you but please stop making Pirates movies. You are so much better than that.
We all go through ups and downs, and Johnny is no exception to that rule. I’ll keep rooting for him, I’m sure he’ll get back on track.
I agree with this.
I read this was pushed back due to script issues (basically rehashing the same plot structure), so they are taking the time to make the script better, then good for them.
I do hope that Johnny, who I think is very talented, finds whatever it is that got him into acting in the first place.
no thanks.
The first movie was cool.
No.2 was ok.
No.3 was something between ok and unnecessary.
No.4 was really bad.
No one needs more. Pirates and Johnny are out.
I felt the same way about 2 and 3. I only saw 3 because 2 kind of left you hanging. I never even saw 4.
I know sequels are basically the only way studios are making huge money now, but honestly it’s boring. How many movies about transformers, pirates, superheroes, etc can you crank out before you’re creatively dry?
Look the Pirates movies have sucked 3 out of 4 times but the last one made over a BILLION dollars! Someone is watching this crap and they will keep making more of them until we find those audience members and stop them! 😉 From a business standpoint? Pirates 5 makes tons of sense. Yuck.
Dead Man’s Chest also took in over a billion dollars, and At World’s End worldwide gross was $900+ million, very close to a billion.
So, I grew to hate the spider man kids back when they started whining about how boring it all was, and about the same time Depp said “I’ll make these movies as long as people want to see them”, which to me seemed smart and I rooted for him, get that money, be smart about it and grateful for the paycheck. I would be. That being said, I lost interest in him like the next day because I am tired of seeing him perform the same role over and over.
It’s Disney & Johnny’s fault. There are only so many situations you can put Captain Jack in before it becomes predictable and boring. That line was passed at the 2nd movie.
LOL! this franchise has made almost 4 billion dollars, and much more money in merchandise.
The last one and the second film did over a billion
Pirates is a sure investment for Disney, nothing to do with Lone Ranger and loosing money
On the contrary I think they did Depp sign in another Pirates and Alice 2 to overcome the money they knew they would lose with LR
Yes you’re just being mean.
Not to mention that Infinitum Nihil, which is Johnny Depp’s production company, is now under Disney’s wings, so I guess the deal went something like: “We’ll let you have TLR. It probably won’t make its money back, but let’s keep fingers crossed and hope for the best. We’ll also help you with your production company, so that you can focus on personal projects as well. However, this will cost you – Pirates of the Caribbean 5 and Alice in Wonderland 2.”
This is the way it goes. Actors make big movies for money/pleasure, but sometimes they also make them so that they can get pet projects out there as well.
That’s why Vin Diesel keeps making the Fast & Furious movies. He’s trying to get an epic about Hannibal (of Carthage not fava beans) greenlit.
Seriously…5…? I mean I stopped watching them halfway through 3…why not a 5th one if that’s all he can do anymore?
There would be a 5th? Yikes.
It’s like a bait at this point: you’re sick of the PoC franchise, but you want to see it through because you’ve already seen the 3-4 previous movies. It just feels weird to not want to know what happens next…
They’ve done well with a movie that came from a Disneyland attraction/ride.
But I hope The Lone Ranger’s “success” scared them into delaying the movie. 😀
Nah it actually has do to with strategy; it’s been pushed back to 2016 because of the blockbusters films released that 2015 summer, I mean Marvel’s Avengers/Ant-Man/Fantastic Four, then Assassins Creed, then WB’s Superman vs Batman… so no they ain’t going to compete against that as they must be aware that POTC franchise is getting tiresome thus avoiding the flop.
Makes sense. I would bet that’s definitely a contributing factor.
The poor Johnny-loonie in me is crying at the moment (Well, metaphorically speaking). I am a regular CB reader and it’s such a downer to see how dismissive you are of Johnny. The comments about retirement started before anyone knew how TLR would perform at the Box Office and continued while he was promoting it. They had more to do with the fact that he was hitting the big 50, which is an important milestone for some and not with the movie flopping. I guess it’s normal for people to wonder what are you going to do with your career after having lived for half a century. The Whitey deal is pretty shady – I think it’s not just about the money, but about the fact that if they can’t keep their commitments and use his name to sell the movie, who knows what else are they going to do. Johnny did say several times that he really hopes he will make the movie, but you can’t just sign a deal and change the clauses just like that. He can be cheap as well (See: The Libertine), so I am not entirely convinced it’s simply a matter of $$$.
I appreciate him for fighting to pull TLR off – it was his pet project and it did do justice to the Natives, just like he wanted to. Yeah, he won’t change the world with a movie, but at least the guy is kindhearted and with good intentions. And with Into the Woods, Transcendence and Mordecai on the pipeline, things look promising for Johnny.
Please pretty please, CB, just let it be with Johnny. Those comments about the “stupid money” were unfortunate – I rolled my eyes back then, but I understand he was in a pretty dark place, so I am not putting in too much thought in the interviews he gave in that miserable period when he seemed to have the worst time of his life. Nah, not making excuses, it was a truly dumb statement, but yet again, he wasn’t his normal self.
As for Amber, I dislike her a lot for seeming a try-hard. I hate the people who pose as TRUE ARTISTS and never ever show a sign of being one. Unfortunately for Johnny, I feel the relationship won’t work, not necessarily because of the age gap, but because of the fact that they seem to have different priorities and goals in life. He has to raise his children, occasionally meets up with old friends, makes movies. She wants to have fun, party and become the next Angelina Jolie. It just doesn’t work like that.
I’ve now met him twice and he was lovely with me both times. When it comes to fans, he really gives his best to make sure that no one leaves the premieres unsatisfied, signing and chatting for hours. I genuinely believe he is a great and humble guy – with his ups and downs, like everybody else, but he’s a good bloke.
This being said, I am not particularly looking forward to the next installment of POTC. The fourth POTC was indeed all over the place, with action sequences seeming to be a rehash of the previous installments and scenes which dragged on and on and on, without being relevant to the story. Not to mention that it’s not working when you make Jack a central character – he has to play the other ones off. This is why the movies worked better with Will and Elizabeth – they might have been losers in love, but they were Jack’s “bait”, poking endlessly fun at them. I am glad they got rid of Rob Marshall, since apart from the fact that adventure movies are not his thing (he is a choreographer first and foremost, which is probably why I think the best part of POTC 4 was before they got on the boat), there isn’t a single movie of his that I love – not even Chicago and I am still mortified that he managed to make a soulless movie with wonderful actors (Nine).
Anyway, this probably has to do with the fact that TLR was a huge flop – they are more cautious and try to keep the budget at a normal level. While TLR limped, a lower budget might shift the focus to the actual story, rather than to the effects, which isn’t that bad. In the end, all the flop for something better. I actually like the idea of putting more thought into the story and hiring the Kon-Tiki directors, who sound promising. 2015 is a crowded year as well for blockbusters, so it’s wistful thinking to push it at a later date, since TLR competing against Despicable Me 2, after the first one was a HUGE HIT, was mind-boggling. Who on Earth would put a Western against a sequel of a highly successful animated hit?? As for those saying that people are getting tired of the POTC franchise, you are probably forgetting that the fourth one had over 1 BILLION at the Box Office. Sure, it didn’t do that well domestically, but it was a hit worldwide nonetheless, so clearly, people are still interested in the series. Or at least, they were at that time.
TLR wasn’t that bad – tone was all over the place though. It did have an identity crisis and some awkwardly random scenes, like the unbalanced nature and literal horsesh*t, but it had good intentions. Somewhere there is a good R-Rated movie – I was in fact surprised by how gritty it was at times. The train sequences blew my mind. Not to mention that I still bought Johnny’s deadpan style – it did it for me, he looked committed with the role. Too bad the budget was so gigantic – it surely didn’t deserve to fail SO hard. Westerns are hard to sell after all, no matter who is starring. Lately, audiences aren’t drawn in anymore by the star power of those involved – it’s all about the story/genre/marketing and less and less about the actors.
Sorry, I got carried away *LOL
I still read every word! 🙂
I have always loved Johnny Depp as an actor. And it was lovely to read your post:) I have read many stories about what a lovely person he is in real life.
That is why I am so diappointed at all the crap he gets for his personal life when there is a Lindsay Lohan and a Miley Cyrus in the world!
Everyone has its ups and downs and Johnny is no exception.I love him and probably always will.He just made some not so good choices during the last years but he is still a good actor and I hope he starts doing good quality movies(not just entertaining)again.I can’t wait for Transcendence and for Mortdecai.Maybe that will be his comeback.He seems like a truly nice guy and I want him to shine again.And I think he will.As for him and Amber,as far as it doesn’t seem like there is anything we know for sure about them I can’t say what will happen.It’s up to them.
What the article doesn’t say is that Disney wants to get Alice 2 done since that is potentially another billion dollar grosser.
I’ve been a fan since the 21 Jump Street days, but it seems like once he got the fat Disney paychecks, he changed.
I can’t fault the guy for enjoying the paycheck, and he earned it – those 4 films have grossed over $3.5 billion, and rely almost completely on his performance.
But at some point, isn’t it enough? Enjoy the millions, and find something that piques your interest as an artist, not a blockbuster machine.
I will never understand the hate verging on loathing for TLR-it was a perfectly fine popcorn movie. Agreed the tone was all over the place.
POC 5? Why not- provided the script is good. I was entertained during 4, and the music/score is great. Johnny will be fine- tho he does need to stay away from Tim Burton for a while!
Perhaps the next Pirates movie could be an amalgam:
Freddy vs. Pirates
Or
Mission Impossible
Who even bothered to see 2. I am in shock that they are up to five.
He’s already working for disney again with “Into the Woods” and moved his production company from Warner to Disney. So I don’t think the company is punishing him over the failure of Lone Ranger.
Also, I’ve read that the main problem is that they don’t have the script done so they can’t estimate the real budget for the movie and they would have to start to shoot the movie soon, so they chose to move the shooting and that means the delay in the movie release also
And by the way, how good he looks in the pictures here!
What’s next Pirates the Senior Citizen Years?
Anyone can make bad movies. Johnny has made more than a few bad ones.
So what if Disney has cold feet. Johnny has enough money for himself and his kiddies to retire from acting and do cool stuff like music and painting.
I hope he makes himself happy and does WTF he wants.
Ultimately, I can’t hate on him for this. If he has enough money to live off of for the rest of his life, why continue to work unless a) you REALLY love the job or b) you are being paid INSANE amounts of money.
i liked lone ranger, it wasnt great but a good movie, i just cant understand why it cost 250 Millions???? Crazy!
I liked it too! And I was prepared to hate it!
They lost track of why people went to see the first two Pirates movies. Those who love Disney, and especially the Pirates ride, wanted to see something that reminded them of the ride, the fantasy, the magic that is Disney. Instead, the movies started getting edgier and darker, and the swashbuckling fun that was the first movie was pretty much gone. If they want the next movie to succeed, they’ll have to bring back the fun and feel of the first movie and the ride itself.
He had so much promise as an actor yet he’s pretty much stuck in a one-note act for all of his movies (Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows, Willy Wonka, the Pirate series and Lone Ranger). Really, stick to real acting. Stop the schtick.
Johnny! You can’t stop there, that’s bat country!
I am promising to avoid snark and unkind words in this post.
I am not sure the losses credited to TLR are accurate. It did badly in the U.S. However, it did relatively well worldwide. Here are the wordlwide numbers so far this year.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=2013&p=.htm
TLR has so far grossed $243 million worldwide. I think it would have been ok had it not been for its’ ridiculous budget. Not sure if the losses vs. profits are being measured against its overall gross or just the domestic one.
TLR was just one of about a dozen high-profile movies that have followed the exact same pattern. (And so did POTC 4. Most of its billion dollar earnings came from overseas.) So even though a lot of people seem to be over Johnny Depp, it’s really not fair to place the entire blame on him alone.
The fact is, cultural tastes change all the time and recent numbers show our tastes have changed. If I was a smart business person, I would seriously reconsider how I market these kinds of movies. As it is, it feels like desperation and denial on Hollywood’s part to think that if they just find the right actor or the right script, the next one is guarenteed to be a success even if the twenty before it were’nt.
He is so unpleasant to look at, never gotten his appeal. Boring movies, mediocre actor, just don’t get it.
$350? “Legitmately”? Do any of you know how to proofread?
I wonder why Johnny gets a pass for his cheating drunken ways? Most other people get ripped apart for years and years when they goof up, no matter how much they redeem themselves, and they’re still torn apart. And the excuse is “well, this IS celebitchy, get over it.”. Until its their guy or gal, that is. But yeah, as far as the movies, people spend money on crap all the time, while perfectly wonderful films languish. POTC should be laid to rest, but it’ll be made at some point, a pile of crap that will make a crapload. Life’s not fair.
4th sequel is horrible due to it’s director for me.. and Penelope was totally not suitable for the character. The movie not as funny and as strong as directed by the previous director. It’s not Johnny depps fault. Under the first director.. pirates of the carribean movie getting better n better. They shouldn’t change the director.