Disney Departure Leaves Depp Concerned About ‘Pirates 4’

It’s only been a little over a week since Disney’s announcement of the title and logo for the new ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,’ but, as reported in The Hollywood Reporter, Dick Cook stepped down on Friday as chairman of Walt Disney Studios.

Cook had this to say about the departure:

I have loved every minute of my 38 years that I have worked at Disney … from the beginning as a ride operator on Disneyland’s steam train and monorail to my position as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. To wrap up my Disney experience in a neatly bundled statement is close to impossible. But what I will say is, during my time at the studio, we have achieved many industry and company milestones.

Upon hearing about the departure, ‘Pirates’ star Johnny Depp said he was “shocked and very sad” about the news.  This comes from the LA Times.  According to Depp, Cook was the reason he appeared in the ‘Pirates’ movies to begin with.  It was Cook that, finally, convinced Depp to step into the role, and it was Cook who always believed in Depp’s vision for the character, even when others at the studio were less than enthusiastic with the way the character was headed.

Depp says he has a potential deal in place for the fourth film, but, according to him, “there’s a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment.”  The potential deal Depp is referring is dependent on his approval of the screenplay, but, with Cook out of the picture, Disney may need a real barn burner to keep the star on board.