Given the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise so far – including the fact that On Stranger Tides just sailed across the $1 billion mark at the global box office – it was only a matter of time before Disney started to turn up the heat on another instalment. The script has been underway for a while now, and though Pirates anchor Johnny Depp has said he wants to take a little time in between movies again, he’s apparently now in the early stages of a deal to return for the fifth outing.

Yes, it should really surprise no one, but before the fourth film arrived, Depp was talking up how it would depend on the script and how much he wanted to let the series rest in dry dock to let audiences breathe. But despite fairly scathing reviews for Stranger Tides, it’s become yet another cash cow, so naturally work is really getting started for more Sparrow time.

According to The Wrap, a rough draft of the script is in (from, we assume, franchise veteran Terry Rossio, since he was the one hired in January to start work on it, minus his usual writing partner Ted Elliot) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer and co are said to have been in fevered meetings getting it to a point where Depp will say yes. From the sounds of this, he’s happy enough to at least start figuring out a deal.

As to when the movie itself will actually shoot? That’s anyone’s guess right now, since Depp will be busy on The Lone Ranger for a while this year and may still stick to the idea that he’ll wait a couple of years before setting sail again. Bet Disney and Bruckheimer will be trying to convince him to step aboard as soon as possible…