It’s not all smooth sailing for Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Conditions on the Gold Coast set are far from shipshape, and an estimated 200 crew have been temporarily keelhauled thanks to old salty dog Johnny Depp‘s prolonged absence.
Fairfax report that the $250 million production has been facing delays since March 10, when Depp flew home to the United States for surgery, after an injury he sustained to his hand during the course of filming.
Production has continued around the star’s absence, working on scenes for which Depp is not required, but on Thursday, around half the film’s crew of 400 were stood down, and told that there would be “no more work” for at least two weeks.
Affected crew will return to work when production resumes on April 15; they have been told that “entitlements and annual leave” may cover some of the income shortfall, but it’s understood that many will need to look for other work in the interim.
News Limited‘s report is a little more colourful. They allege that Depp injured his hand in a fit of anger, with a source (gotta love em) claiming that “he lashed out and hit a glass door” after a telephone argument with wife Amber Heard.
They also report that Depp, who has spoken about struggles with alcohol in the past, is undergoing “at-home rehab treatment” in the US, ahead of his return to Australia.
A spokesman for Jerry Bruckheimer Films did not comment on the current rumours, but said that the Pirates 5 “will be minimally impacted by Johnny Depp’s injury” and that “production will absolutely continue when he returns.”
Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow is officially “the most commercially successful original character of the last 15 years” (really let that sink in), so there’s no way he’ll be getting the heave-ho any time soon.
With $4.7 billion of booty hauled in so far from previous Pirates films, it’s all hands on deck right now to ensure this one stays the course.
Photo: Kevin Winter via Getty Images
