Did Disney offer Johnny Depp $301 million deal to return to Pirates of the Caribbean franchise?

Johnny Depp, the Pirates of the Caribbean star, declared that a US jury gave him his life back when it awarded him a near-total victory in his defamation fight with ex-wife Amber Heard. This statement may not be far from the truth. As per media reports, Depp has now been offered a whopping $301 million contract to reprise his role in the Pirates franchise.

According to iexclusivenews, Disney is offering Depp the deal as a formal apology for not signing him after Heard's Washington Post article about domestic violence in 2018.

Although Heard did not mention Depp's name in her article, it impacted his career. Movie offers started to dry up, and superhit franchises such as Fantastic Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean refused to feature him.

However, the tables have turned now and reports suggest that Johnny Depp has been asked to return back as Capt Jack Sparrow.

A former Walt Disney Studios executive also thinks Depp could someday return to the franchise. "I absolutely believe post-verdict that 'Pirates' is primed for rebooting with Johnny as Capt. Jack back on board," the former Walt Disney Studios exec told People magazine. "There is just too much potential box-office treasure for a beloved character deeply embedded in the Disney culture."

The insider added, "With [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer riding high on the massive success of Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun: Maverick,' there is huge appetite for bringing back bankable Hollywood stars in massively popular franchises."

The actor has starred in five Pirates films, and he even earned an Oscar nomination for playing Capt Jack Sparrow in the original Pirates of the Caribbean in 2003.

However, during the trial Depp spoke about his falling out with Disney executives, saying he felt he'd become "guilty until proven innocent" and said that he would not work with Disney again, even if they offered him a $300 million paycheck.

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