Is Jack Sparrow Back? Johnny Depp’s New Movie Sparks ‘Pirates’ Reunion Buzz
For the first time in seven years, Johnny Depp is back in a major studio film—and he’s bringing a familiar co-star along for the ride. Penélope Cruz, who played Angelica in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), is reuniting with Depp for a new thriller that has fans doing a double-take.
The movie is titled Day Drinker, and it’s already gaining traction not just for its plot, but for what it represents: a potential career reset for one of Hollywood’s most polarizing figures. Depp and Cruz have shared the screen three times before, and every time, their chemistry has left a mark. This latest collaboration is stirring up memories of their Pirates past—and even whisperings of whether Jack Sparrow could sail again.
Directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man, Snow White), Day Drinker follows a bartender aboard a luxury yacht (played by Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline) who encounters Depp’s mysterious guest. Cruz plays a criminal figure entangled in the suspense. The cast also includes Manu Ríos, Arón Piper, Juan Diego Botto, and Anika Boyle, adding international flair to the production.
Depp, known for diving into eccentric roles, appears nearly unrecognizable this time around. With a salt-and-pepper beard, long hair tied back, and strikingly different eye color, he looks more like a maritime tycoon than a pirate. Still, there’s a theatrical elegance to his portrayal that longtime fans will recognize.
While Depp never left acting completely, starring in European films like Jeanne du Barry and directing Modi, this is his most commercial role since the fallout from his public legal battles. For Disney fans still clinging to the hope of a Pirates resurrection, this reunion with Cruz feels like a breadcrumb trail back to the sea.
Could Day Drinker lead Disney to reconsider their stance? It’s hard to say. But the buzz around this film makes one thing clear: Johnny Depp is no longer drifting in Hollywood limbo. He’s charting a course forward—and he’s not sailing alone.
