Johnny Depp has revealed that he was going to make $22.5 million for his scrapped role in Pirates of the Caribbean 6. The actor originated the now-iconic character of the pirate Captain Jack Sparrow in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which was adapted from the popular Pirates of the Caribbean Disney theme park ride. The lavish blockbuster, which cost $140 million, was a huge success, more than quadrupling its budget. Naturally, it launched a franchise and was quickly followed by 2006's Dead Man's Chest and 2007's At World's End. The franchise continued in stops and starts beyond that point, with Depp eventually returning for On Stranger Tides in 2011 and Dead Men Tell No Tales in 2017.
Plans were made for a sixth Pirates film, reteaming Depp and co-star Kaya Scodelario with Dead Men Tell No Tales director Joachim Rønning. However, following Depp's then-wife Amber Heard accusing him of domestic abuse, Depp was removed from multiple projects, including Pirates 6. He was also removed from the Wizarding World franchise, in which he had played the role of the villainous wizard Grindelwald, who had a romantic relationship with future Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore when they were both young men. In Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, which came out this April, he was recast with Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen.
Per Vulture, one facet of the lawsuit between Depp and Heard is the fact that he lost money from projects he was removed from or not invited to join due to her claim of domestic abuse. Depp's lawyer estimated that his client had lost somewhere around $40 million in income due to the situation, but more than half of that came from his paycheck for Pirates 6. It was revealed that he was going to be paid $22.5 million to return to the big-budget franchise.
Considering the fact that the actor has become synonymous with the franchise, it makes sense that his paycheck to return for yet another sequel would be so substantial. Although the actors around him, including Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, and Penélope Cruz, have come and gone, Depp's Sparrow has been the backbone of the series. Indeed, he is such an inextricable part of the franchise that an animatronic based on Jack Sparrow using Depp's likeness has been built into the original theme park rides.
It seems reasonable to presume that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 would have received a budget of around $300 million with Depp's participation, considering his salary and the budgets of the previous entries. However, the fact that Depp was removed from the film likely impacted its prospects as well as his. Without him, producers would likely have much less confidence in the project's performance and possibly slashed its budget as a result, perhaps preventing it from ever getting made in the first place.
Source: Vulture