LOS ANGELES — After 14 years, do audiences still love Captain Jack Sparrow? That’s the question many in Hollywood will be asking this weekend as the fifth installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise sets sail Friday with a hefty amount of baggage in tow.

The challenges for “Dead Men Tell No Tales” include diminishing domestic box office returns, a six-year gap between films and a star in Johnny Depp whose messy personal issues have made numerous headlines. The Walt Disney Company also now has more profitable franchises in “Star Wars” and the Marvel Comics Universe.

Early predictions say the film could still take in $80 million this weekend, but whether that’s enough to keep the franchise afloat remains to be seen.

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press