Variety reports that Disney is considering Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha) to direct the fourth installment of its Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. If successful, the move would easily put the film on track for a 2010 start with Johnny Depp reprising his role as Captain Jack Sparrow.
While Marshall’s involvement has yet to be confirmed, the studio is reportedly moving forward in the casting process, searching for talent to embody new characters that will appear in the picture. Gore Verbinski, who helmed the first three films in the series, stepped away from the fourth film to focus on a movie version of the vidgame BioShock for Universal. With the film’s future is currently on hold, Verbinski has moved on to other directing and producing projects.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney have been meeting with a several directors in recent weeks, since the studio would like Depp to star in it before he begins work on The Lone Ranger. Regardless of who Disney taps for the next film, it will be certainly be big business for Disney, whose first three Pirates flicks grossed $2.6 billion worldwide.
