Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones performs in Tokyo March 22, 2006. Richards looks set to play Johnny Depp's father in the third "Pirates of the Caribbean" film, a fitting role for the man upon whom the American actor based his character Jack Sparrow. REUTERS/Kimimasa Mayama

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards looks set to play Johnny Depp's father in the third "Pirates of the Caribbean" film, a fitting role for the man upon whom the American actor based the character Jack Sparrow.

"We're all looking forward to the idea of Keith coming in and doing a cameo, and it's looking very, very good," Depp told reporters on Tuesday, the day after "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dean Man's Chest," the second film in the franchise, had its London premiere.

"The one thing is you just never say it's definite until, for me, the guy steps on the set and the cameras are rolling, but it's certainly something I'd be excited about," the 43-year-old actor added.

Depp won his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Captain Jack in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," the first in the lucrative Walt Disney Co. series that earned $654 million in worldwide box office receipts.

The movie database IMDb lists Richards in the cast of the third Pirates film, due to be released in 2007, but the rocker's London publicist could not be reached for comment.

Richards, 62, currently is preparing to resume touring having suffered a head injury after reportedly falling from a palm tree while on holiday in Fiji.

Orlando Bloom, who stars alongside Depp in the film, referred to the incident on Tuesday. Bloom said he would love to see Richards play the role, adding, "Well, if he doesn't kill himself falling out of a coconut tree."

The Rolling Stones are due to begin their European tour on July 11 in Milan, several weeks after the original opening night in Barcelona in May.