PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 5 will be directed by KON-TIKI's Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg

A Fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is set to be made, and Disney has finally chosen a director for this sequel. Pirates 5 will be directed by the directing duo of Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, who are best known for their work in the Norwegian historical drama film Kon-Tiki, which was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. [read the full article after the jump]

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is said to have been keen on Rønning and Sandberg landing the Pirates of the Caribbean 5 gig from the start, and he, Disney, and Johnny Depp have all signed off on the duo to take over directing duties from On Stranger Tides helmer Rob Marshall for the next Pirates pic.  Negotiations are underway, and Rønning and Sandberg are poised to start prepping Pirates 5 immediately in order to start production later this year or in early January 2014.

Pirates 5 took a bit of time to put together, as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides raked in over $1 billion at the box office but suffered from a mixed critical reception.  Marshall didn’t really seem like he knew how to handle a large-scale action/adventure pic, but I’m eager to see how Rønning and Sandberg adjust to the world of tentpole moviemaking.  Disney is apparently bullish on Pirates 5 after a recent script rewrite from Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can).  It’s unclear which cast members—if any—will be returning alongside Depp, but we should hear more about the film soon as the production startdate looms closer.  Pirates of the Caribbean 5 will open in theaters on July 10, 2015.