PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: SALAZAR’S REVENGE

WHILE THERE’S NO questioning the continued popularity of the Pirates franchise — 2011’s On

Stranger Tides made over $1 billion — it’s not been the same since the early, funny one. Good news! Jerry Bruckheimer says Salazar’s Revenge recaptures the spirit of Curse Of The Black Pearl.

“We previewed the picture recently,” says the producer. “A lot of the audience says it harkens back to the first.” And that’s not purely down to tone. This is a reunion. As well as Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow and Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa, who have appeared in every movie, Pirates 5 will bring back Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, last seen doomed to a life as captain of the cursed ship the Flying Dutchman. “Will’s son [Brenton Thwaites] has been hunting for him for years,” says Bruckheimer. “That’s the backbone of the story, the search for his father.”

Getting in the way of that quest will be Javier Bardem’s villain, Captain Salazar, who has some murky history with Jack. “You’re not quite sure if he’s dead or not,” laughs Bruckheimer. “He’s a little supernatural. He’s on a real mission of vengeance for something Jack did to him when he was 18. He’s a pretty nasty character.” With an Oscar-winning villain and the biggest battles yet (Bruckheimer promises 13 ships facing off), this could be the Pirates to sail the franchise back onto the fun course it set 14 years ago.