It could either be the final nail in the coffin of an ailing franchise, or it could be the best thing to happen to the Pirates franchise in over 13 years.
I understand and appreciate that there is a resurgent wave of sympathy that has been swelling of late for Johnny Depp.
But for the purposes of this answer, let us leave aside his ugly legal entanglement with Amber Heard.
The Pirates franchise has been sinking since 2007.
After At World’s End, the franchise has been steadily submerging deeper and deeper into mediocrity, and with 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales, it finally went all the way down to Davy Jones’ locker; the film was atrocious.
Depp was the crown jewel of the original trilogy. He created something truly special with Jack Sparrow, who is a character for the ages.
But in the last two films of the franchise, Depp’s performance has suffered. It’s partly due to lacklustre writing and partly due to the fact that Depp’s heart just wasn’t in it. It was clear to see.
He was imitating his performance as Jack Sparrow rather than playing the character. And thus, the character was a ghost of its former self.
While the idea of a reboot is usually met with audible groans, if ever a franchise is primed for a reboot, it is Pirates.
It is in desperate need for a jolt. An injection of freshness.
And that is exactly what Disney is after, having earmarked Margot Robbie to be the new face of the franchise.
Having said all of that, the circumstances surrounding Depp’s ousting from the franchise are awful.
Because it wasn’t a creative decision, it was a decision born out of Disney’s eternal reluctance to appear anything other than sparkling clean.
The suits high above likely don’t care one iota about Depp’s presumed innocence in his legal case with Amber Heard. Whether Disney considers him guilty or innocent, it doesn’t matter.
Because above all else, they consider him tainted. And that is why they got rid of him.
That is being awfully cold to the man who has raked in literal billions for the company. But such is the cutthroat business that we call show.
In conclusion, while Depp’s departure from the franchise has happened under dubious circumstances, it could be the shot in the arm the franchise needs.
Or, it could be its death knell. Time will tell.
Over to you Margot Robbie. No pressure. Just the tiny matter of following in the footsteps of one of cinema's greatest characters.
Image source Google
Thanks for Reading
0 Comments