Is Jenna Ortega in Pirates of the Caribbean 6?

Pirates of the Caribbean 6 has been stuck in development hell for more than five years – but has Jenna Ortega joined the cast?

Disney’s franchise (unbelievably based on a theme park ride) kicked off with 2003’s The Curse of the Black Pearl, a swashbuckling blockbuster that gave Johnny Depp his most iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Gore Verbinski returned to helm two sequels: Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End, two stupendous movies in hindsight that put contemporary production values and CGI to shame. The next two entries, On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales, slowly sunk the series into irrelevancy (despite their huge box office hauls) as the superhero boom and other IP took over.

However, producer Jerry Bruckheimer has long insisted that a sixth entry is happening, no matter how long it takes to nail the story. So, will the next movie star Jenna Ortega?

Is Jenna Ortega in Pirates of the Caribbean 6?

No, Jenna Ortega isn’t attached to star in Pirates of the Caribbean 6.

This rumor appears to stem from two fake trailers on YouTube: one posted 10 months ago for a project titled “Beyond the Horizon” that’s amassed 1.3 million views, and another shared last week for the “Final Chapter” that’s been viewed more than 2.4 million times.

The latter video is comprised of footage from several Pirates films, Miller’s Girl, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter – and, in fairness, it says in its title that it’s a concept.

While nobody seems particularly opposed to the idea of Ortega’s casting, the comments are flooded with fans demanding Depp to reprise his role. In an interview with ET last year, Bruckheimer said: “We’ll see. I would love it. I would love to have him in the movie – that’s all that I can tell you.”

A source close to the actor later told People that Depp would be open to returning as Jack Sparrow. “Anything is possible. If it’s the right project, he’ll do it,” the insider claimed.

However, one thing is certain: at least right now, Depp and Ortega are in no way attached to any Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin pitched a sixth film before the WGA strike last year, and “thought there’s no way they’re buying it, it’s too weird. And they did,” he told the Los Angeles Times.

“And then [Ted Elliot, who penned the first three entries] wrote a fantastic script and the strike happened and everyone’s waiting around.”

There’s been no further updates since on the status of Pirates of the Caribbean 6 or any other continuation of the franchise.