DESPITE reports to the contrary, namely from the Australian gossip site Poptopic, Johnny Depp is not returning to play the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, according to one his spokespersons.
The speculation had alleged that Depp, 59, was working on a mammoth US$301 million (RM1.3 billion) deal with Disney to appear in the sixth movie in the franchise. Depp had played the role in five movies from 2003 to 2017.
The lofty dollar figure was likely taken from an exchange that happened during Depp’s blockbuster defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp’s team argued that Heard’s accusation of domestic abuse had caused Disney to drop him from the franchise that he had anchored (pun intended).
During cross-examination, Heard’s lawyer Ben Rottenborn confronted Depp with a statement he had made to the press.
“If Disney came to you with US$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?” asked Rottenborn, referring to an interview Depp had made previously.
“That is true,” he replied. He later said during questioning by his own counsel that he felt betrayed by Disney and believed the company had spurned him.
In reference to that quote, a pair of alpacas with pirate hats had been seen outside the courthouse during the six-week trial that ended in a victory for Depp.
The jury awarded Depp US$10.35 million in damages after finding that Heard defamed him by accusing him of domestic violence. On the flip side, Heard received US$2 million in a ruling that Depp had defamed her. – The Vibes, June 28, 2022
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