Johnny Depp heads back to work after surgery

Johnny Depp has jetted back to Australia to resume filming on the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie after undergoing hand surgery last month (Mar15).

The Hollywood actor left the production on the Gold Coast and jetted back to the States for an operation after sustaining an injury off-set, and the shoot was shut down to give him time to recover.

Recent reports suggested the restart date had been pushed back for a second time to allow Depp more time to recuperate, but the actor silenced speculation about his health by jetting back Down Under on Tuesday (21Apr15) to return to work.

He was pictured disembarking a plane at Brisbane Airport with his wife Amber Heard.

The film's publicist Michael Singer tells the AAP, "His return depended on his recuperation from surgery and when his physician allowed him to travel. It was entirely dependent on that."

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the fifth film in the swashbuckling franchise, is due for release in 2017.