A ridiculous story recently went viral online in the wake of the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial, which sparked a wave of compassion for the former Pirates of the Caribbean actor.
The claim states that Depp will receive at least $301 million in compensation for reprising his most well-known role as Captain Jack Sparrow.
A Disney Plus series that would cover Jack Sparrow's early years may be in the works, the report added (despite Depp currently being 59 years old).
The claim is simply false, notwithstanding how entertaining it could be to see an ageing Depp play a character that he has been phoning in for at least the previous two films.
The $301 million total budget for Pirates of the Caribbean is an insane amount. It is not a low-budget film.
Before being fired from the trilogy, Depp was reputedly due to receive $22.5 million for his sixth appearance as Jack Sparrow; during the height of his fame,
he earned $50 million for the third film, At World's End. Even Depp thought his salary for the series was excessive; in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2011, he said:
It is ludicrous to think that Disney would pay any actor that much money, much less one who has established themselves to be such a risk on set,
given that Depp is soon to make another court appearance after being accused of striking a staff member.
Disney undoubtedly doesn't want to become involved in yet another needless culture war; in addition,
casting Depp in any high-profile role will be interpreted as a political statement in the wake of their protracted court struggle with Amber Heard.
The $301 million may actually be a reference to a well-known exchange between Heard's attorney Ben Rottenborn and the actor during the trial.
"The reality is, Mr. Depp, even if Disney handed you $300 million and a million alpacas, nothing on earth could sway you to partner with them again on a Pirates of the Caribbean film. Correct?"
Given the amount of incorrect information that was spread throughout the trial, it is unsurprising that rumours concerning Johnny Depp's future in the entertainment industry are afoot.
At the moment, Depp has an army of crying fans who are desperate to see him receive "justice," which purportedly comprises him reprising the role that made him famous.
Captain Jack Sparrow's return to the big screen is important, even though it's not exactly a top priority given all that's happening around the world right now.