On Friday, an adoring public trooped to see Captain Jack Sparrow as the “Pirates of the Caribbean” attraction at Disneyland reopened.
The ride was mobbed with fans that created long lines, according to Deadline.
The ride closed in March, prior to the trial in which actor Johnny Depp won vindication when his ex-wife Amber Heard came up on the losing end in a civil suit in which a court ruled she defamed Depp in 2018 op-ed.
“Keep a spry eye out for sly Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, as he schemes to get his hands on the spoils,” Disneyland’s website said, promoting the attraction.
Captain Jack Sparrow is back in Disneyland! pic.twitter.com/wpQzciYN71
— Matt Ramos (@therealsupes) June 26, 2022
That Disney quietly admits they were wrong
— Kyle (@KyleRyan91) June 27, 2022
The ride and reruns may be the only ways fans can see Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, according to the latest media reports.
Although last month, the website Poptopic reported that the Walt Disney Co. was preparing a hefty deal of more than $300 million to plead for Depp’s return to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise, a spokesman for Depp told People magazine the report was false.
During his trial, Depp testified that he would not take another “Pirates” franchise role for “$300 million and a million alpacas.”
Breaking news
Johnny Depp says that not even for 300 million will he work with Disney again pic.twitter.com/Bu45s3Lt3C— I_see_the_black_sun (@Iseetheblacksun) May 6, 2022
In a post-trial interview, Depp said he felt Disney had spurned him because of the company’s treatment of him when Heard first alleged he abused her.
“There was a very deep and distinct feeling of having been betrayed by the people that I had been working with, the people I had worked hard for, people I had delivered a character to that they initially despised,” Depp said, according to MovieWeb.
But despite that, a People interview with a former Disney executive predicted Depp would return to the “Pirates” franchise.
“There is just too much potential box-office treasure for a beloved character deeply embedded in the Disney culture,” the executive said. “Pirates is a billion-dollar global franchise.”
Disney doesn’t deserve Johnny Depp. Tbh Disney needs Johnny more than Johnny needs them bc we know Pirates Of The Caribbean will never be the same without Johnny as Jack Sparrow.
Instead of spreading rumors, Disney should publicly apologize. #CaptainJackSparrow #JOHNNYDEPPWINS— mar (@vaersac) June 27, 2022
The “Pirates” speculation followed a jury’s decision on June 1 to award Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from Heard for her comments about him in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed.
Within minutes of the verdict, Depp released a statement saying the jury “gave me my life back.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.