Johnny Depp to Pocket $56 Million for Pirates 4

Here’s my verdict on Hollywood actors making huge and outrageous salaries (because I know you’re all dying to hear it): more power to them. They should get what they can get. Just as with athletes in the sports world. Why should we begrudge them earning obscene amounts of money for what is essentially 3 or 4 months of work? Sure, I’d like to see them do more than just pretend in front of a camera for their money, like clean out my basement, or pull those damn weeds from my backyard. But even so, and if the market will bear it, they should make as much as they can. Hell, whenever blogging in your underwear surrounded by empty cans of Red Bull becomes as prestigious as starring in “Pirates of the Caribbean 4″, I want to make $56 million, too! But I digress. The probably-untrue news of the day is that Johnny Depp will be pocketing a cool $56 million, up front, to star in the latest “Pirates” film.

A word of warning, though: this “news” comes courtesy of the British tabloid Daily Mail, and if you thought American tabloids were notoriously unreliable, I’m pretty sure they’re about 90% more accurate than some of the stuff that shows up in their counterparts Across the Pond. And so, here’s the article:

Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp will pick up a staggering £32million for starring in a fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean film.

And it’s the highest up-front pay-cheque in showbiz history.

The huge pay-day eclipses Tom Hanks’ £29million salary for DaVinci Code follow-up Angels And Demons.

(32 million pounds is $56 million in dollars, in case you were wondering.)

Granted, that’s a pretty big pay raise. I don’t know what Depp got paid for the last three “Pirates” films (I would imagine he got a huge pay bump after the mega success of the first one), but since I like Depp, and I’m a capitalist kinda guy, good for you, Johnny boy.

Disney has already scheduled Depp’s return as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fourth installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise for a 2011 release. There’s no word yet on who else will return besides Depp’s Sparrow, though at this point, does it matter?

Below: A $56 million dollar paycheck for one movie? Brilliant. Make-up that makes you look manly and gay at the same time? Priceless.