How do you keep the fourth installment of a beloved franchise from losing its freshness? For Jerry Bruckheimer and the rest of the team behind the popular "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, you throw a couple familiar characters overboard and make way for some new blood -- and a new leading lady for the remaining big name.
While Johnny Depp will be losing Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom as costars in "Pirates of the Caribean: On Stranger Tides," he'll be gaining an onscreen love interest in Penelope Cruz. The Oscar-winning actress is said to be playing the role of bad-guy Blackbeard's daughter, who will also be the first romantic counterpart for Captain Jack Sparrow since the franchise set sail in 2003.
Though the extent of the romance isn't yet confirmed -- "Pirates" executive producer Bruckheimer would only say that there will be "a little romance" between Sparrow and Cruz's character -- Bruckheimer told MTV News that Cruz "brings a lot of humor" to the role, which he says is a "feisty" one.
Cruz had been in negotiations to join the cast since February. Ian McShane will play Blackbeard, who -- in addition to being Sparrow's nemesis -- is the "nastiest pirate ever," in Bruckheimer's opinion.
Depp has been on something of a leading-lady tear of late. When he assumes the role of Sparrow in June, he will have just finished playing the paramour of Angelina Jolie in the thriller "The Tourist," which is currently shooting in Venice, Italy. Cruz was most recently seen in "Nine," which was directed by Rob Marshall ("Chicago"). Incidentally, Marshall is also directing "On Stranger Tides." (Gere Verbinksi directed the first three "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.) The fourth installment of the series will hit theaters in May 2011.
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