Johnny Depp no longer part of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise, Disney producer confirms

Johnny Depp will not return as his iconic character Captain Jack Sparrow from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, Disney's film production chief Sean Bailey has confirmed.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Bailey was asked if the "Pirates..." reboot, to be written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, could survive without Depp.

He replied, "We want to bring in a new energy and vitality. I love the [Pirates] movies, but part of the reason Paul and Rhett are so interesting is that we want to give it a kick in the pants. And that's what I've tasked them with."