Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 - A Viral Fan-Made Trailer With Jenna Ortega Explained

A fan-made trailer for "Pirates of the Caribbean 6" featuring Jenna Ortega is taking the internet seas by storm.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise has been in limbo since 2017's largely maligned "Dead Men Tell No Tales." The film, which served as a "Force Awakens"-like reboot/sequel of the franchise, failed to find its footing with fans. Work on a proper reboot of the franchise began to manifest shortly after, though that idea eventually sunk too. Now, nearly a decade after the franchise's last installment, a fan trailer for a sixth film, subtitled "Beyond the Horizon," is causing all sorts of commotion online.

Created by YouTube user KH Studio, the artificial intelligence-generated trailer features Jenna Ortega taking on the role of Jack Sparrow's (Johnny Depp) daughter for a brand-new adventure. In the teaser, Ortega joins her father for an unknown adventure, which also sees several franchise favorites return — like Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). The trailer positions the couple as supporting characters who consult with Sparrow, almost like Iceman (Val Kilmer) in "Top Gun: Maverick." 

What's most surprising is that this hypothetical "Pirates of the Caribbean 6" sees Sparrow facing off again with Davy Jones (Bill Nighy). Overall, the teaser celebrates the franchise's enduring legacy and asks big questions about how certain Sparrow is to have his daughter continue his piracy legacy.

It's sort of surprising that "Pirates of the Caribbean 6" hasn't hit the big screen. The franchise has always been a moneymaker for Disney, with the fifth film making north of $790 million despite mixed-to-negative reviews. The premise presented in the trailer is fascinating and would be an interesting way to continue the franchise while passing the torch to a new generation. Over the last few years, Ortega's clout has only grown — thanks to appearances in projects like "Scream," "X," and the Netflix sensation "Wednesday." 

Having Ortega lead the franchise would be a brilliant move and it pleased many fans already. "Whoever thinks of this is legit genius. If Disney did this it will be a massive hit. Jenna Ortega as daughter really suit[s] the movie," wrote YouTuber user @mariaa5887. Similar sentiments were echoed by user @KingDami1999 who wrote, "This is a great trailer. Jenna being Jack's daughter is a nice idea." According to user @CarlaLR74, the flick would light up the box office, suggesting, "These two would rock as a father-daughter pirate duo. Disney, want to save your box office, make this happen."

While it's possible that the fan-made video, which boasts over 2.5 million viewers could compel Disney to cast Ortega, the studio might have other plans for the billion-dollar franchise. 

Johnny Depp's prominence in Hollywood significantly waned after his widely publicized 2022 defamation trial with his ex-wife Amber Heard. While appearing in a Virginia courtroom, Depp explicitly stated that Disney dropped him from the franchise due to the damning op-ed that Heard had her written, which Depp claimed had damaged his reputation. When asked if he would return for a sixth film in the franchise, Depp said he wouldn't — even if creatives at Disney mended their strained relationship with the actor. 

Although further behind-the-scenes happenings on a sixth film are unknown, it's obvious that Depp and Disney's contentious back-and-forth stalled the series' future. But in 2023, the actors' tune changed. People learned that Depp was interested in returning to the franchise — if the project was good. But Disney was exploring further options, allowing Margot Robbie and screenwriter Christina Hodson to cook up a reboot, which was ultimately canned. "Chernobyl" scribe Craig Mazin and co-writer Ted Elliott, meanwhile, successfully pitched "Pirates of the Caribbean 6," though it looks like development has stalled on their vision too. 

While the future of the series is uncertain, this Jenna Ortega-led fan trailer confirms that fans are still eager to see Jack Sparrow sail the high seas once again.