Margot Robbie has been cast in a brand new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, teaming up with her Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson. The Australian actress and producer will play the female protagonist based on Disney’s popular franchise.
While details on the new project are limited, The Hollywood Reporter says it is not intended to be a spinoff of the original that had pirate Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) at its centre, “but rather a wholly original story with new characters under the Pirates moniker”.
As the outlet notes, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is one of the most lucrative of all time. The five films have grossed more than $4.5 billion, with the most recent installment, Dead Men Tell No Tales, premiering back in 2017.
Robbie’s film is still in the early stages of development, so there’s no news yet on a premiere date- especially amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which continues to affect film and TV productions – or if any of the other actors from the films will make an appearance. Past movies have starred Keira Knightley, Penélope Cruz, Naomie Harris, and Kaya Scodelario.
Entertainment Weekly adds that Robbie’s film will be separate from a reboot announced last year. Jerry Bruckheimer will produce the film, just like he’s done with every installment of the series.
In addition to collaborating on Birds of Prey, Robbie and Hodson together in 2019 launched the Lucky Exports Pitch Program, a new initiative aimed at getting more female-identifying writers hired by studios to write action-centric movies.
After the news was announced, fans were eager to share their praise for the upcoming adaptation.