Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most successful and loved movie franchises of all time. Since 2003, the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Barbossa have thrilled audiences around the world and increased the demand for more movies starring those characters. However, while the original trilogy was fantastic, the movies that followed this trilogy were mixed. The most recent movie has even led many critics to describe the series as tired.
This article will give 5 reasons why we need a sixth movie and 5 reasons we need a reboot.
Sequel: Character Recognition
From a business standpoint, perhaps the clearest reason why there should be a sequel is character recognition. The main reason why many people went to watch the latest Pirates movie, despite the poor reviews, was the chance to see another adventure from Captain Jack Sparrow.
While a reboot could be a better movie, the simple box office draw of seeing the iconic characters from the original movies is reason enough for studios to continue with a sequel.
Reboot: Box Office Failure
Despite the fact that Pirates is one of the most popular and successful franchises of the last few decades, there is no denying that the box office success has been on a steady decline. This is the sign of a tired franchise and may need a reboot to fix before the franchise is too far gone.
A reboot would draw interest in the property that was no longer there, and it would make people want to see the new reboot, even if it is just to compare it to the original.
Sequel: Star Power Of Depp
While a reboot could easily introduce new actors that could become just as iconic as Jack Sparrow, there is no denying the star power that Johnny Depp holds. The mere mention that Depp is in a movie is bound to increase box office sales and drum up audience interest in the movie.
It is for this reason that the studio would feel more than justified to carry on with the series as it is and try to introduce some course correction.
Reboot: Tired Franchise
It wouldn't be controversial to claim that Pirates is beginning to look like a tired franchise. Since the conclusion of the Davy Jones story arc in Dead Man's Chest, the franchise has been languishing in story wilderness. There has been no meaningful story arc across the most recent movies, and many are self-contained and forgettable stories.
A reboot would really help to trim the deadwood surrounding the series and allow some new actors with a new director to inject some life into the series.
Sequel: Continue Will Turner's Arc
One of the most exciting things about the most recent movie was the inclusion of Will Turner. The character was given a rough deal in At World's End as he had to take over as captain of the Flying Dutchman and leave the love of his life on land. It was certainly great to see that the new movie would pick up this plot thread and help free Turner from his eternal duty.
The most recent movie, however, ended on a kind of cliffhanger as it also teased the return of Davy Jones. So it would be great to see this given a conclusion.
Reboot: Depp's Performance
Depp's performances have always been fantastic in Pirates movies, so it was a real shock when the recent movie came out. Rather than appearing at his best, Depp seemed to be playing himself as Jack Sparrow. In other words, the Sparrow mannerisms were overdrawn and played to almost caricature level.
This certainly did not help the movie, as most of the draw to any Pirates movie comes from the amazing performance of Johnny Depp.
Sequel: Can't Recast Jack Sparrow
Despite the fact that Depp's performance wasn't the best in the last movie, it would still be hard to recast such an iconic character. While one could suggest that the reboot does not need Jack Sparrow, it would be very hard to imagine any Pirates movie without him.
Consequently, one of the main reasons why we need a sequel is that the franchise would struggle to both replace and recast the iconic Jack Sparrow.
Reboot: Disney + TV series
While it would be interesting to reboot the Pirates franchise into another movie series, perhaps a more interesting idea would be to reboot it into a Disney + series. The Mandalorian has already shown that a series with a movie budget on the platform can be a massive success and influence popular culture.
A TV series would also allow for more character development to take place and allow for a different feel than a movie reboot would.
Sequel: The Series Needs An Ending
It would be a huge injustice to end the Pirates franchise without any closure regarding the fate of the characters. At World's End provided some closure for the characters and would have been a perfect ending point, yet they carried on with the series.
Consequently, we need some kind of ending that would make the series feel complete. Rebooting the series without this will only make the franchise feel incomplete.
Reboot: Brand Recognition
The brand recognition for Pirates of the Caribbean is next level. It is one of the most popular film franchises of all time and has a dedicated fan base. The only issue currently is that the movie series had not managed to meet the expectations of the cinema viewing public.
The huge fan base and popularity of the Pirates franchise is ripe for a reboot. Many would love to see how the series would change and how they would replace or recast Jack Sparrow, even if such a decision is incredibly difficult. Further, breathing a new lease of life into the series would not only lead to a fantastic movie, but also fantastic profits for the studio.