Disney Makes 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' Official While Also Announcing Release Dates for 'The Muppets 2' and '1952'

If you're a studio and you have a franchise that can bring in $1 billion at the box office with each installment, you should probably keep making movies in that franchise. Disney clearly understands this, announcing on Monday that Pirates of the Caribbean 5 will hit theaters on July 10, 2015. While Johnny Depp will be back as Captain Jack Sparrow, Disney hasn't announced a director or subtitle for the next edition of the franchise.

Disney also made a few other changes and updates to its film schedule on Monday. Head past the jump to get updates on 1952, The Muppets 2, Maleficent and The Little Mermaid 3D.

Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird's mysterious 1952 has been scheduled for Dec. 19, 2014. The film will star George Clooney.

The Muppets 2 will hit theaters on March 21, 2014, and star everyone in Hollywood, with Ty Burrell, Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey already among the names being tossed around. There will also probably be Muppets in the film.

The studio moves Maleficent up from July 2, 2014, to March 14, 2014. The film, which stars Angelina Jolie as the Sleeping Beauty villain, will now premiere just a week before The Muppets 2. It strikes me as odd that Disney would set up a new potential franchise a week before it returns to an old one, so keep an eye on these release dates. They could change again.

And finally, in wake of the waning interest in 3D re-releases of classic films, the studio canceled the The Little Mermaid 3D. I'm sure we'll still get a Platinum Deluxe Diamond Edition or whatever Disney is calling it now version of the film on blu-ray.