On Tuesday it was announced that "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" would be delayed.
Many fans and pundits questioned Disney's decision, leading producer Jerry Bruckheimer to answer questions regarding production. The producer explained to the Hollywood Reporter that the film had been delayed because the script was not complete, and that after "The Lone Ranger," Disney did not want to take any risks. "We have an outline everyone loves but the script is not done," said Bruckheimer.
He continued: "It's all a factor. We want a script that everyone's signed off on and a budget that everyone's signed off on." He added that after "The Lone Ranger" "everybody's more cautious."
Bruckheimer also noted that he wanted to get into production as soon as possible because "we're supposed to start in March and you start spending a lot of money now." The producer also revealed that the studio was not happy with the script written by Jeff Nathanson and that they had to rewrite it. Recently a source revealed that the studio thought the original Nathanson script "was too expensive but it was also really complicated and hard to follow."
When asked if he was still confident about the project, Bruckheimer stated, "With any movie, you're never confident. But it's a billion-dollar franchise."
"Pirates of the Caribbean 5" has already made Disney skeptical after their tentpole film "The Lone Ranger" failed to impress at the box office. Earlier this year, the company announced that it was taking away Brukheimer's final cut power. Additionally, it was revealed that Disney hired "Kon-Tiki" directors Espen Sandberg and Joachim Ronning because they believed the two directors could make a great film on a lower budget. Disney also cut down the budget from $250 milion to $200 million.
"The Lone Ranger" became the second highest-profile film from the studio to bomb at the box office. The movie, which cost $215 million, only recovered $88 million domestically, and $243 million worldwide. A year before, "John Carter" only made $73 million domestically on a $250 million budget.
Johnny Depp is slated to reprise his role as Jack Sparrow and the movie is now rumored for a 2016 release.