Geoffrey Rush: 'Pirates could have a bucket-load more films'

Geoffrey Rush thinks there are a "bucket-load" of potential 'Pirates of the Caribbean' stories.

The Australian actor – who places Captain Barbossa in the movies opposite lead character Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) – has not yet singed up to appear in the follow-up to 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' but thinks there is potential for the series to run and run.

He said: "Nothing's official but there is a fifth chapter being developed and as the hardcore fans will know if they hang around until after the credits roll, there's a little teaser, cliff-hanger which I think opens up the potential for a pretty damn fine movie.

"It's a very big theme, piracy. They were around in that tradition for about 80-odd years and as you see in this film a lot of the nastier, cleverer ones got themselves into working for the different crown heads of Europe as privateers which is what happens to Barbossa.

"So between the mythology and the legends and the history and geographical places in the world, there's still a bucket-load of stories to tell."

However, the 'King's Speech' star does not think the franchise will be able to overtake the James Bond series.

He told PopEater: "I don't think we're going to outrun Bond. They're up to 23 so they've really set the bar. Relatively we're young kids on the block."