Russell Brand in Pirates of the Caribbean 4

Johnny Depp has long been the star of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. However, it looks like he’s getting a co-star of equal loopiness and fun. Apparently Russell Brand (previously seen in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) has been tapped to play Depp’s brother.

Russell Brand

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently discussed the making of the upcoming “Pirates of the Caribbean 4″. He says the script is in the works and hopes to have the film in theaters by 2012. It’s a struggle because he’s also working on “National Treasure 3″ and a “Lone Ranger” movie.

And it sounds like we’ll have a new character in “Pirates of the Caribbean 4″. Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow has a brother, as it turns out, and they’ve found the perfect person to play him. British comedian Russell Brand has been tapped for the role. A source says,

‘There couldn’t be a role more perfectly suited. There’s a lot of Jack Sparrow in his mannerisms and behaviour. Johnny’s accent isn’t a million miles away from Russell’s either.’

But Brand will have to overcome his recent BBC Radio scandal before cashing in on the $10 million “Pirates” payday. He recently resigned from his radio hosting gig after making a prank phone call to Andrew Sachs and discussing his sexual relations with Sachs’ granddaughter Georgina Baillie.

See more photos of Russell Brand and a video from “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”’s sex wars below.