Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is coy, saying he and his mates need a break. But he already has rights to a book that could end up as another installment.

And Johnny Depp hasn't vowed another voyage, but also hasn't said no to playing a character he relishes, telling one interviewer: "As long as you're doing it for the right reasons, why not?"

"When these franchises become part of the world's culture, they take on a life of their own," said Dick Cook, Disney's studio chairman, who says he's on board for another "Pirates" if the script is right and the filmmakers are willing.

Though Bruckheimer and Disney executives say the "Pirates" trilogy has concluded, they imply the series could continue through a spinoff or prequel. In an interview with an Australian film website, screenwriter Terry Rossio said he and partner Ted Elliott would take a crack at another "Pirates" script and see if they could make it work.

In Southern California, moviegoers interviewed were divided on the prospect of a fourth "Pirates" after watching the latest chapter, which clocked in at nearly three hours.

Elizabeth Lopez, 24, of Long Beach, suspected the latest "Pirates" might disappoint as the third film in the series.

"But it actually was very good," she said. "Yes, I'm hoping they make another one because of the way it ended."

But Richard Kirk, 69, of Bellflower, has seen enough.

"It just gets rather complicated, especially the first part of it," he said. "I really think they should leave it at three."

(Agencies)