Kaya Scodelario nabs leading role in Pirates Of The Caribbean 5

Kaya Scodelario, star of Skins and The Maze Runner, has been cast as the female lead in Pirates Of The Caribbean 5. 

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed the actress had been cast on Twitter over the weekend, writing:

Pleased to announce that we cast Kaya Scodelario for the 5th Pirates of the Caribbean. Talented young actor from Skins & The Maze Runner.

— JERRY BRUCKHEIMER (@BRUCKHEIMERJB) January 24, 2015

Production on the fifth film in the series, which is to be titled Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, is set to begin in February, with Johnny Depp returning to lead as Captain Jack Sparrow.

The script is written by Catch Me If You Can's Jeff Nathanson, with Norwegian pair  Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg directing. Javier Bardem is rumoured to be in talks to play the film's villain, while Maleficent star Brenton Thwaites is also confirmed to have a key role.

The filming will take place in Queensland after producers Disney agreed a deal with the Australian government, who agreed to put just under $20 million towards the film. 

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is due to be released on July 7th, 2017.