Save the date for July 7th, 2017 when Pirates of the Caribbean 5 plans to unbury cinematic treasure. Disney had originally planned a 2016 release but decided to give writer Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If you Can) extra time to get the script right. Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, who previously directed the Oscar-nominated Kon-Tiki (2012), are on board to co-direct the fifth Pirates film, currently subtitled Dead Men Tell No Tales.
The fourth film of the franchise, Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) ended with Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) weighing his decision to not drink from the fountain of youth. That film, while still massively successful, was underwhelming both critically and commercially compared to its predecessors. Disney’s next collaboration with Depp, 2013’s The Lone Ranger, fared even worse, as it was slammed by critics and went down as one of the biggest bombs of that summer.
As the fifth Pirates film edges forward with plenty of time to develop, it will hopefully offer Depp and Disney a chance to shine again. Pirates of the Caribbean 5 will center on his character, Captain Jack Sparrow, six years after his quest to find the fountain of youth.
The picture’s July 7th release date is strategically placed amidst the other franchises set for the summer of 2017. Fantastic Four 2 will be released a week later on July 14th and Despicable Me 3 hits theaters June 30th. This isn’t the only film Disney has underway, as they recently announced the release dates of their next five Marvel films. The last of these untitled films is set for May 3rd, 2019, so it’s never too soon to mark your calendars!