Spanish actress Penelope Cruz is said to be in talks to star in the fourth instalment of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Cruz, 35, will join director Rob Marshall and star opposite actor Johnny Depp, reports the BBC.

Depp, 46, will return as Captain Jack Sparrow, in a tale revolving around the Fountain of Youth, and filming will start this summer.

‘The Ring’ director Gore Verbinski, who directed the original hit film, and subsequent sequels, announced he was stepping down from the series last year.

Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot have written the script for the forthcoming film, with Jerry Bruckheimer as producer.

However, Depp’s former co-stars, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, are not expected to return.

‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ is set to open in May 2011.