After the poor performance and critical drubbing of THE LONE RANGER, super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer and long-time studio partner Disney parted ways. It was a big question where Bruckheimer would end up and now we know he will work with Paramount on future projects. Bruckheimer will begin a three year first look deal beginning in April 2014. While Bruckheimer will keep upcoming sequels to both the NATIONAL TREASURE and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN with Disney, other projects may find their way to Paramount. In an interview with The Wrap, Bruckheimer shed some light on where the producer will go from here.
Aside from bringing the cat-and-mouse thriller SHAKE about a cop chasing a killer through the aftermath of an earthquake, Bruckheimer is planning to work on TOP GUN 2 and the new BEVERLY HILLS COP. Brett Ratner is currently slated to direct BEVERLY HILLS COP once he finishes with HERCULES: THE THRACIAN WARS but there is not much other detail on that project.
But the most exciting news from Bruckheimer is the fact that he no longer has to abide by Disney rules any longer. Gone are the restrictions of making family appropriate movies.
I will have the freedom and opportunity to make various kinds of pictures, which I didn’t have at Disney. There is a narrow band of PG or soft PG-13. If you take out ‘Pirates,’ I had a lot of success making ‘The Rock,’ “Armageddon, ‘Pearl Harbor.’ It’s hard to get those made there now. It’s a great place to work, and I had a great run there.
Bruckheimer also hints that he hopes to work with Michael Bay again as the TRANSFORMERS director has a deal with Paramount himself. The prospect of those two returning to their glory days of BAD BOYS and THE ROCK is enough to make any movie fan excited.
It will be a while before we see if Disney passes on any in development projects that Jerry Bruckheimer can then bring to Paramount and redevelop, but we know for certain that TOP GUN and BEVERLY HILLS COP are moving forward. In regards to PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES, Bruckheimer did spill one intriguing nugget. When asked about working with Johnny Depp again, he said:
Sure, we have a great relationship. He’s off doing a couple of movies and hopefully we’ll get him back for Pirates.
Trouble could be brewing for PIRATES if Depp does not return. It looks like Bruckheimer got out while the getting was good.