10 Movie Franchises That Are Probably Doomed
5. Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean is in something of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" predicament, because while Disney has been pursuing a sixth entry into the franchise since Dead Men Tell No Tales released in 2017, they've struggled to figure it out.
On one hand, many fans won't have much interest in the film if Johnny Depp isn't involved as series icon Jack Sparrow, but on the other, Depp's star power has faded considerably since 2017, exacerbated by his very public divorce from and legal dispute with Amber Heard.
Disney flirted with rebooting the franchise with Margot Robbie as the new lead, though that ultimately didn't pan out, and so Pirates of the Caribbean finds itself at something of an impasse.
It's certainly fair to say that Pirates feels long past its expiration date as an IP, and though the fifth film grossed close to $800 million worldwide in 2017, it's tough to picture a new sans-Depp movie thriving in the current theatrical environment.
Furthermore, by the time a new Pirates film probably releases - which could be as late as 2030 at this rate - the series may well have lost all that remains of its cultural cachet, especially with younger audiences who didn't grow up with it.
It's OK for franchises to just end, even ones with over $4.5 billion in box office receipts, though Disney naturally doesn't want to hear that, and they'll only stop pursuing new Pirates movies when every last penny has been milked.