Disney has been catching quite some flak for controversies surrounding its ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise, ever since writers Arthur Lee Alfred II and Ezequiel Martinez Jr. accused the studio of stealing the inspiration for their central character Jack Sparrow.
The duo has been fighting the legal battle since 2017, but according to the latest developments, Judge Marshall has “denied Disney’s motion for summary judgment because of conflicting expert testimony”. In short, Disney has landed itself in a fresh legal soup, yet again. Read on for more details.
HIGHLIGHTS —
- Johnny Depp fired due to legal troubles
- Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow in legal cesspool
- The final verdict for Disney
Watch ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ Official trailer
Johnny Depp fired due to legal troubles
Actor Johnny Depp made his first appearance as Jack Sparrow on ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ in the 2003 film ‘The Curse of the Black Pearl’. The film’s success ensured Depp’s reprisal in four more POTC sequels from 2006 to 2017 in ‘Dead Man’s Chest’, ‘At World’s End’, ‘On Stranger Tides’, and ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’.
Depp, who was once one of the highest-paid actors in the world, was dropped by Disney from the POTC franchise just four days after his ex-wife Amber Heard’s incendiary 2018 op-ed in “The Washington Post”, in which she claimed, without naming Depp, that she was the victim of domestic violence. According to Depp’s lawyers, the actor’s removal from the multibillion-dollar grossing franchise was because of Heard’s allegations.
Amber Heard says ‘I lied’, apologizes to Johnny Depp on IG Live
Disney’s production chief at the time Sean Bailey, confirmed the news in an interview with “The Hollywood Reporter” saying, “We want to bring in a new energy and vitality”.
Ever since then, Disney has also been drawing unwanted limelight after they went public with the decision to reboot ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ without Johnny Depp. The Hollywood star, who had played Jack Sparrow in five Pirates films, collectively grossing over $4.5 billion worldwide, stirred quite a controversy in the media. But now, empathizing fans are knocking on the gates of Disney, demanding his comeback.
Watch the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge final trailer here
Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow in deep legal cesspool
In November 2017, A. Lee Alfred II and Ezequiel Martinez Jr. sued Disney claiming their work was plundered to shape Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow after their producer sent the spec script to Disney.
In 2018, when the media bombarded newspapers with the headline “Johnny Depp ousted from POTC”, Disney was still hopeful its decision wouldn’t backfire.
Johnny Depp makes a public statement on being fired by Disney
In May 2019, District Court Judge Consuelo B. Marshall dismissed the case as they found the similarities between the 2000 spec script and 2003 film ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ to fall largely under “unprotectable generic pirate fare”. But the tables turned in favour of the writer duo, when in July 2020 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit revived the case, stating “the screenplay shared sufficient similarities with the film to survive a motion to dismiss”.
Following this, Alfred and Martinez promptly filed an amended complaint, leaving Walt Disney Co. in a legal cesspool, with heavy consequences if proven guilty.
Watch Johnny Depp talk about his favourite thing about playing Jack Sparrow
The final verdict for Disney
Disney’s latest attempt to squash the lawsuit was scuttled when a California federal judge deemed that the scripts had enough to claim plagiarism and warrant a case. Now that the writers have filed an amended complaint against Walt Disney Co. over ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ character Jack Sparrow, Disney stands a chance to face heavy compensation and lose all their future plans for the franchise.
The appeals court found it premature to conclusively state that the similar elements are unprotectable. The court believes expert testimony and additional evidence may actually help. The latest standing judgement reads, “This would be particularly useful in this circumstance, where the works in question are almost twenty years old and the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise may itself have shaped what is now considered pirate-movie tropes.”
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