Disney has been circling a Pirates of the Caribbean reboot for some time now. The mega-successful series has raked in more than $4.5 billion worldwide, so it is not too surprising that the company would want to rejuvenate the franchise. Last October, Deadline reported that Disney had brought Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott on board to craft the reboot, the duo was responsible for co-writing the first four Pirates movies.
Now that the remake is officially in the early developmental stages, Disney is rumored to be looking for a new actor to portray the iconic role of the rum-loving pirate, Jack Sparrow. Johnny Depp originated the character, but due to his recent legal troubles, it is unclear if he would return. According to Inside the Magic , producers are allegedly circling Zac Efron to take over for Depp.
Efron first rose to fame while starring as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical series, which proved to be a smash hit for Disney Channel and the overall brand. Despite moving on to raunchy R-rated comedy films like Dirty Grandpa and Baywatch , it seems that Efron has maintained a good relationship with the company.
At this point, however, the possibility of the 17 Again actor starring in a new Pirates film is an unconfirmed rumor. That hasn’t stopped fans from giving their two cents about the potential casting on social media. Many of the heartthrob’s supporters feel that he would make an excellent Sparrow due to his natural charisma and charming personality.
“Zac would be great as Jack Sparrow,” said one person, inserting three smiling eyes emoji to their comment.
Others are torn on the potential casting and feel that it would be better if they introduced a new character altogether, as they cannot picture anyone else playing the role other than Depp.
“I love Zac Efron, but NO ONE apart from the one and only Mr. Depp is worthy enough of playing the role of Jack Sparrow!!!” wrote a second passionate fan.
“What if zac efron is jack sparrow’s child. That way Elizabeth and wills son and barbossa’s daughter team up. Like next generation of pirates thing,” suggested another user.
The last Pirates of the Caribbean was Dead Men Tell No Tales , released in 2017. It’s unclear when the updated version would be released, and there is no word on whether or not other notable actors from the series like Kiera Knightley, Orlando Bloom, or Geoffrey Rush would return to reprise their roles.