‘Pirates of the Caribbean 5’ Will Reboot the Franchise, According to Orlando Bloom

We haven’t seen a new chapter of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ since 2011, as the next installment of the franchise has been delayed and scheduling has seemingly been tricky, but today brings the latest update on the upcoming film. According to Orlando Bloom, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ will serve not only as a sequel, but as a reboot for the franchise, potentially following the adventures of new characters.

In an interview with IGN, Orlando Bloom was asked about the upcoming ‘Pirates’ sequel an whether he’ll be returning. He had this to offer:

I’m not entirely sure that [I'll be back] just yet, but there are talks. Basically they want to reboot the whole franchise, I think, and do something with me and the relationship with my son… I’m of course Davey Jones now, so I’m down the bottom of the ocean. It might be kind of fun to do something where I’m rumbling round the bottom of the ocean, because I won’t look anything like me. [Gestures to face] Get all gnarly.

It’s been unclear how or if they might bring Bloom back, but the real update here is that the franchise may be finding a way to reboot, which makes sense given the casting of up-and-coming actor Brenton Thwaites. Thwaites had a pretty solid year, appearing in ‘The Signal,’ ‘Maleficent,’ and ‘The Giver,’ and could very well be the new face of the ‘Pirates’ franchise alongside Johnny Depp.

Just yesterday, Variety also reported that the sequel is seeking to cast the role of the young female lead, eyeing Gabriella Wilde (‘Endless Love,’ the ‘Carrie’ remake), Lucy Boynton (‘Miss Potter’), Kaya Scodelario (‘The Maze Runner’), Alexandra Dowling (‘The Three Musketeers’), and Jenna Thiam (‘The Returned’) to star alongside Thwaites and Depp.

‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Tell No Tales’ features Javier Bardem in the villainous role of Captain Brand, a ghost who seeks revenge for his brother’s death, which he blames on Jack Sparrow. Depp is expected to return, alongside Geoffrey Rush’s Captain Barbossa. The latest chapter will be helmed by ‘Kon-Tiki’ directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, and hits theaters on July 7, 2017.