Disney, Jerry Bruckheimer end deal

Disney and Pirates Of The Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer will not renew their first-look deal when it expires in 2014.

According to the studio, Disney “will continue to focus on its branded properties including Disney, Pixar, Marvel and now Lucasfilm”, while Bruckheimer is looking to produce “more mature films outside the scope of the Disney brand”.

Disney and Bruckheimer will continue working together on projects including the fifth instalment of Pirates Of The Caribbean.

The move comes after Disney recently announced a write-down of $190m (£118m) following the recent box office failure of Bruckheimer’s The Lone Ranger and a delay for the next instalment in the Pirates franchise.

Bruckheimer and Disney have made 27 films together, including Con Air, The Rock, Pearl Harbour, Armageddon and the Pirates franchise, which has earned more than $5.4bn (£3.4bn) worldwide for Disney.

“Jerry is one of the most respected and prolific producers working in the motion picture industry, and we have had an incredibly successful collaboration over the past two decades and he is a friend to many of us here at Disney,” said Alan Horn, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios.

“We will continue to work together in the future, and we look forward to seeing more of the films that have made Jerry Bruckheimer a Hollywood legend.”