Is PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4 about to be anchored?

Could new Disney chairman Rich Ross really put the multi-million cash-cow that is the POTC film series on hold?

By Matt Holmes /

New Disney chairman Rich Ross has made an immediate impact on his company's future film production slate since taking on the job two months ago. He quickly made the high profile cancellation of McG's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (a big budget tentpole for them) and after the big flop that was Old Dogs recently - caused much embarrassment to those involved by killing off the Wild Hogssequel (from the same director and John Travolta) and actor Robin Williams' farce comedy Wedding Banned. Ross, a guy I might quickly begin to like at Disney, is clearly not afraid to flex his muscles and cancel productions with the wrong talent on board or films that don't make sense either creatively or financially. So with a couple of high profile executions recently, what do we make of three possibly connected developments that have taken place over the past month or so, which could effect a MASSIVE tentpole at Disney. 1) Johnny Depp signs on to make the sexy spy thriller The Tourist with Angelina Jolie next March, right when he should be filming Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. 2) This week, Terry Gilliam states that Depp has now suddenly found time in his packed schedule to shoot the time-traveling character role in his recently resurrected The Man From Don Quixote. 3) Nine director Rob Marshall starts to sound a bit iffy/iffy towards Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, a movie whose filming start date seems to have been pushed back two months without any kind of announcement and is now looking a little less like a movie that will definitely set in stone happen. Here's what Marshall said...

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We€™re still trying to figure out if it€™s going to all happen. If it happens€“I think Johnny€™s doing a movie with Angelina Jolie in the spring €” so if it happens, we€™ll start in the summer, and we€™ll see. I€™m excited. If it happens, it happens. I€™d be thrilled. I just love Johnny and I€™m excited about the genre.
There's an awful lot of "if's" now appearing for a film that sure sounded like it "would" be happening a little while back. Has the Disney terminator Rich Ross struck again - or am I looking for a story when there isn't really one to find? You tell me. Depp is sure packing his 2010 schedule though... and Ross seems to be a results guy and Nine doesn't seem to be all that. So... well, again, you tell me.