THE crew of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” have been forced to drop anchor in the wake of Johnny Depp’s hand injury.

    Producers have been forced to shut down production after finishing the scenes that didn’t require the franchise’s marquee star, according to media reports out of Australia.

    The fifth installment of “Pirates of the Caribben,” with a purported budget of US$250 million, had been thrown into uncharted waters after the 51-year-old Depp returned to Los Angeles on March 11 to undergo surgery for his hand.

    That the injury occurred off set one day earlier, reportedly while go-karting at MotoGP world champ Mick Doohan’s private track, hasn’t endeared him to the local crew members who face a protracted period without pay.

    The shutdown affects several hundred Australians working on the production, Sydney’s Morning Herald reported.

    It’s also unclear if the delay will force other big names, including Orlando Bloom and Javier Bardem, in the cast to walk the plank over scheduling conflicts on other movies. “Producers will mothball the entire production and recast every part if the other actors aren’t available for a postponed shoot to be sure they can make the movie with Johnny,” a source close to the film told Australia’s Gold Coast Bulletin.

    (SD-Agencies)