HBO’s surprise hit Chernobyl provided an uncompromising look at the 1986 nuclear disaster, both how it happened and how the Russian government tried to obscure the truth about it. Behind it was Craig Mazin, who won two Emmys for his work on the series.
So what’s his next project? Rebooting Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, of course, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
I’m being a little glib there. Before he took on Chernobyl, Mazin worked on the Hangover and Scary Movie franchises, so he’s familiar with the lighter side of things. If anything, the oppressive realism of Chernobyl was the exception for him. Still, it’s what he’s best known for these days, so this seems like a surprising right turn into something completely different.
Anyway, Mazin is teaming up with original Pirates writer Ted Elliott to come up with a story that will get this franchise seaworthy again. The last Pirates movie — 2017’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales — was loathed by critics and largely ignored by American audiences; domestically, it was the lowest-earning Pirates movie yet. Multiple allegations of abuse and assault against star Johnny Depp certainly didn’t help matters. However, internationally, Dead Men did very well, ensuring that the franchise would be back sooner or later, even if a lot of people have grown tired of it.
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Restoring interest could be a tall order, even for a guy as talented as Mazin. It’s unclear if Johnny Depp will return to play Captain Jack Sparrow. It’s way early to be sure, but I’m thinking he’s recast and we get a prequel about his younger days or something. That’ll definitely work.
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h/t The A.V. Club