Margot Robbie’s female-led Pirates of the Caribbean reboot has been canceled

Margot Robbie’s Pirates of the Caribbean movie has been canceled, following a breakdown of negotiations with Disney to introduce a female-led entry to the franchise.

The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise briefly returned in 2017, with the release of Dead Men Tell No Tales. Intended to launch a new wave of Johnny Depp-starring movies, the poorly received installment failed to conjure up any more swashbuckling adventures, despite a decent box office run.

In a bid to reinvigorate the franchise, Margot Robbie proposed a female-led entry that would reportedly steer away from the adventures of Jack Sparrow and explore the furthest corners of the ocean.

However, Robbie has confirmed that the promising project is now dead in the water.

Margot Robbie confirms Pirates of the Caribbean spin-off is “dead”

Announced back in June 2020, screenwriter Christina Hodson was set to bring a new Pirates spin-off movie to life.

Word on the project has been quiet, until now, as Margot Robbie revealed to Vanity Fair: “We had an idea and we were developing it for a while, ages ago, to have more of a female-led—not totally female-led, but just a different kind of story.”

“We thought [it] would’ve been really cool, but I guess they don’t want to do it,” Robbie explained.

The project would have been produced by franchise veteran Jerry Bruckheimer, who at the time of the project’s announcement, was said to be working on a sixth mainline movie.

“Yes. We’re talking to Margot Robbie. We are developing two Pirates scripts — one with her, one without,” he told The Sunday Times.

However, following the aftermath of the Depp v. Heard court proceedings, it remains unlikely that Disney will approach Depp to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Margot Robbie can be next seen in Damien Chazelle’s Babylon and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.