BREAKING NEWS–Rob Marshall in talks to direct PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4, says Variety

No director has been at the helm of Disney’s flagship Pirates of the Caribbean franchise since Gore Verbinski waved goodbye to pursue other projects last April. Now Rob Marshall, director of the Oscar-winning Chicago, is in talks with Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer to come on board to direct the fourth Pirates movie, according to Michael Fleming of Variety. If Marshall works out a deal, that “puts the film on track for a 2010 production start, with Johnny Depp back as Captain Jack Sparrow,” says Variety.

Although Marshall’s involvement with Pirates 4 has not been officially confirmed, sources told Fleming that “things look good enough that the studio has begun casting new characters that will appear in the picture.” We look forward to hearing more about these “new characters,” and also about which familiar faces will be returning with Captain Jack.

In addition to the Oscar-winning Chicago, Rob Marshall has directed Memoirs of a Geisha and is finishing work on the musical Nine, now in post-production and due for release on November 25th. Nine stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, and Sophia Loren–that’s quite an ensemble!

You can read more about Marshall and Pirates 4 on the Zone’s News & Views forum. To read the Variety article, CLICK HERE, and for a witty commentary from Empire Online, CLICK HERE. –Part-Time Poet