Disney is considering upping the star power of its fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie with the addition of Brenton Thwaites.
According to The Wrap, Thwaites is in talks to join Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The young actor, known for films such as The Giver and Maleficent, would play Henry, a key British soldier.
Thwaites could be joined in the blockbuster series by Javier Bardem, who is in talks to play the film's villain. That character would be Captain Brand, a ghost out for revenge against Johnny Depp's popular Jack Sparrow.
It looks like Geoffrey Rush and Ian McShane will both be included. Rumors have been floating that Orlando Bloom might return to the franchise, as we previously reported, though this has not yet been confirmed.
Pirates of the Caribbean 5 has been in development for some time. According to Slashfilm, Disney had a script in 2011, but it was continuously put off and delayed, going through several drafts and writers through the years. It is scheduled to be released in 2017, six years after the last movie's release.
Regardless, Pirates of the Caribbean is likely to be to be a hit. Despite receiving poor reviews, the fourth film made more than $1 billion at the box office. The series has grossed nearly $4 billion.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will be directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, with filming scheduled to begin early next year.
Image courtesy of Roger Wong/INFphoto.com