HOLLYWOOD -- If, five years ago, you were to suggest that Johnny Depp would one day become the darling of Disney, earning the largest paycheque in The Mouse's history, folks would look at you like you were, well, goofy.

Of course, that would have been before his box office three-peat for the studio as the wonky Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.

The $1.62-billion worldwide haul was enough to make people forget about Depp's prior penchant for riskier stuff such as Blow and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, to the extent that the versatile actor has suddenly become Johnny Depp-endable.

Which would explain the $56-million payday he's rumoured to be collecting for taking to the high seas once again in an-as-yet unwritten fourth instalment.

It's got the whole town talking, but, let's be honest -- it would be near impossible to imagine anybody else in the role.

Can you picture the line-ups in front of Pirates of the Caribbean 4 starring Tim Allen? Arrr! Neither can we.

But Disney's love for Depp doesn't end there --they've also got him suited up to play the part of The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, but it won't be hitting theatres until 2010.

That same year will also likely see the arrival of The Lone Ranger, in which Depp will play the part of Tonto (George Clooney has expressed interest in playing the man in the mask), although at this point the script is still being written by Pirates scribes Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio.

Although there seems to be plenty to keep him occupied in the Magic Kingdom, Disney doesn't have exclusive dibbs on Depp.

He's also got his eye on playing certifiably eccentric artist Salvador Dali in a planned biopic and there's also been talk of again reuniting with director Burton to play Barnbas Collins in a big-screen rendition of Dark Shadows, not to mention popping up in a third Sin City for director Robert Rodriguez (the sequel is scheduled for 2010).

And before all that, he's got a couple of other things in the can, including an animated movie (Rango) and the gangster epic Public Enemies, in which he portrays John Dillinger. Go, Johnny, Go!

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