Yo ho ho and two bottles of rum! Johnny Depp, applauded constantly and universally for his stunning portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl, is getting his dream father in the sequel.

Jack Sparrow has been critically acclaimed as startlingly original, and one of the most innovatively played characters ever on the silver screen.

Whenever Depp has been quizzed about his quirky mannerisms, his odd swaying walk, omnipresent slur and idiosyncratic nuances galore he brought magnificently to the character, he has credited one man.

He based his portrayal of the aging, drunken Pirate on the behavior of Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards, an old rocker who has survived a tremendously debauched life and decidedly not getting older gracefully.

Richards is an old friend of Depp's, and was quite flattered and amused by the zany characterisation.

Earlier this year, Depp expressed interest in Richard's playing his father in the film, if only as a cameo.

Now, IMDb announces that Keith Richards will indeed play father to Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates sequel, Pirates Of The Caribbean: Treasures Of The Lost Abyss, to begin shooting in February 2005.

Director Gore Verbinski better have enough rum on sets large enough to accommodate the two Sparrows.

Photographs: Getty Images