Here's how much Disney saves by dropping Johnny Depp
What's the story
Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most beloved franchises by Disney and fans are accustomed to seeing their favorite pirate Jack Sparrow, whose eccentricities are brilliantly brought to life by Johnny Depp.
Thus, fans were taken aback when Disney announced they would reboot the franchise and drop Depp, as we reported.
However, their decision is creatively and financially motivated.
Here's why.
Money saved
Disney saves around Rs. 620cr by not casting Depp
According to a report by Forbes, Disney stands to save $90 million, which is around Rs. 620 crore by not including Depp in the cast.
Apparently, this is Depp's asking price to play Sparrow after the 5 Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which spanned over a period of 15 years.
This might be partially why Disney was motivated to drop Depp.
Analysis
Last franchise film failing proved Depp not worth the price-tag
The last installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales didn't fare well at the domestic box-office, despite finding commercial success in international box-offices.
However, it convinced Disney that Depp was no longer worth the price tag he commanded.
Notably, a lot of Depp films from the 2010s have flopped like Mortdecai, The Tourist, perhaps proving a larger problem in Depp's life.
Rocky life
Depp faces personal problems after messy divorce with Amber Heard
Not only is Depp's professional life in trouble, but his personal life appears to be in shambles too, following the accusations of domestic abuse leading up to a messy divorce with Amber Heard.
Depp's finances are in a pretty bad state too as a result of multiple legal disputes with old managers and due to being caught up in bad real estate deals.
Opinion
Post #MeToo, #TimesUp, filmmakers realize it's risky to cast Depp
Post #MeToo and #TimesUp the Hollywood culture has changed and opposes power and masculinity in the industry.
Thus, following Depp's abuse of Heard, casting him raises controversy about the project, as Fantastic Beasts franchise is discovering.
Further, Depp's films have shown that his presence does not guarantee a movie's success.
Combined with the $90 million price tag, nobody wants the headache of hiring Depp.