Johnny Depp to pocket $55m for fourth Pirates movie

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp will reportedly be paid $55m to return as Captain Jack Sparrow in a fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie.

Depp’s fee is reportedly more than double the amount usually paid to A-list stars such as Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Harrison Ford.

It is claimed that Disney executives believe the deal will save them money, as The Sweeney Todd star, 46, had originally wanted a percentage of the movie’s profits.

One Disney boss said: “These returns might seem like astronomical figures, but the recession has driven production costs up and profit margins down for everyone.”

He added: “Percentage deals are a thing of the past. They have proved to be so open-ended that, while talented actors have earned fortunes, studios can no longer afford such budget-busting agreements.”

The fourth movie, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is due to be released in the summer of 2011.

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp will reportedly be paid $55m to return as Captain Jack Sparrow in a fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie.

Depp’s fee is reportedly more than double the amount usually paid to A-list stars such as Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Harrison Ford.

It is claimed that Disney executives believe the deal will save them money, as The Sweeney Todd star, 46, had originally wanted a percentage of the movie’s profits.

One Disney boss said: “These returns might seem like astronomical figures, but the recession has driven production costs up and profit margins down for everyone.”

He added: “Percentage deals are a thing of the past. They have proved to be so open-ended that, while talented actors have earned fortunes, studios can no longer afford such budget-busting agreements.”

The fourth movie, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is due to be released in the summer of 2011.