Johnny Depp returns to Oz for Pirates of the Caribbean 5 after injury

Johnny Depp in character as Captain Jack Sparrow

Hollywood star Johnny Depp has returned to Australia to start re-shooting the latest instalment of the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise.

Depp unexpectedly left Australia more than a month a go after injuring a hand.

He was only expected to be missing for a couple of weeks, however he only arrived at Brisbane airport on Tuesday morning according to the film's publicist Michael Singer.

"He returned this morning," Singer told AAP.

"His return depended on his recuperation from surgery and when his physician allowed him to travel. It was entirely dependant on that."

Singer said scenes for Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales which did not require Depp's character Captain Jack Sparrow were filmed in his absence.

He said all crew returned to work last week and shooting for the movie, which is being filmed on the Gold Coast, returned to normal on Monday.

"Even Captain Jack Sparrow was not in every single scene of the movie and even before we had the stand down, we were shooting other scenes with major actors from the film.

"Everyone returned to work last Thursday."

- AAP