A Pirates of the Caribbean producer said Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow character "can’t be" killed off, teasing the star's big screen return.
Hollywood filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer says he'd "love to" have Johnny return as he praised the "terrific actor" after his defamation trial win.
He was axed by the hit-film franchise bosses in 2018 after bosses said that they wanted to bring "new energy" to the series.
It comes amid rumours that Disney are 'keen to get Depp back for the sixth film as well as a spin-off series' – with it being claimed they're offering him around $300million (£247 million).
Speaking in a new interview, Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry discussed writing off Johnny's iconic role, saying: "You can't. We tried to kill him. It didn't work."
He told The Hollywood Reporter: "I would love to have him in the movie. He's a friend, a terrific actor and it's unfortunate that personal lives creep into everything we do."
Asked if rumours of a Disney return were true, the producer simply responded: "You'd have to ask them. I can't answer that question."
Disney reportedly expressed their interest in having Depp return after he won his blockbuster legal battle against his ex-wife Amber Heard, 36, in June.
It is reported that Depp is due to have a test shoot in the UK in February according to a new call sheet from production.
The working title of the film is said to be A Day At The Sea.
A source told The Sun: "Johnny is set to return as Captain Jack Sparrow and is scheduled to start filming at the beginning of February at a top secret location in the UK.
"Everything is in the early stages and there is still no director attached to the project, which is being called A Day At The Sea."
Bruce Hendricks, who worked on the first three films, has been named as an executive producer on the new project, however other details have been kept "under lock and key".
They added: "The whole project is shrouded in secrecy and Disney want to keep everything under wraps as best they can."
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