PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 5 Moved to 2016

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Something had to give.

Disney has decided to pull Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales from the crowded 2015 release schedule, instead opting for a yet-to-be-revealed 2016 release date for the fifth picture in the franchise.

The move follows Disney’s announcement that Ant-Man would move to a Summer 2015 release, up from the planned Nov. 6, 2015 release date.

This is for the best, really. No one is really clamoring for a Pirates 5, especially after the last movie, which somehow managed to make a billion dollars worldwide thanks to overseas grosses, turned out to be a major creative misfire. Disney and the directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg could certainly use the extra time to re-establish the franchise to its former glory.

And for Disney, there’s really no financial reason to keep the movie in 2015, either. With The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Star Wars and Finding Dory all scheduled for 2015 releases, the studio is probably on track to have the biggest single year in its history. Pirates 5 certainly would have ensured that, but the light 2016 schedule with what are likely to be untested Marvel franchises, means they need a sure thing on the books that year. If On Stranger Tides could manage to be a billion dollar picture, then Pirates 5 could do 3/4 of that business at least. Let’s just hope it’s actually worth watching.