Judi Dench to appear in Pirates film

Dame Judi Dench has agreed to make a cameo appearance in the new 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie.

The Hollywood leading lady will play a noblewoman in the opening sequence of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides', which is the fourth instalment of the swashbuckling franchise starring Johnny Depp.

In the scene, Johnny’s character Captain Jack Sparrow is on the run and in a bid to escape he leaps into a carriage belonging to the noblewoman. Sparrow will then distract the lady while he steals her possessions by “ravishing her”.

Judi is only believed to appear in the movie for a couple of minutes, but the scene is a memorable one.  It's been reported Judi and Johnny – who previously worked together on 'Chocolat' – couldn’t stop laughing while they were filming.

The film’s director Rob Marshall is said to have approached Judi about the role after he formed a bond with her when they worked together on the musical movie 'Nine'.

Other stars appearing in the new movie – which will see Sparrow embark on a quest to find the fountain of youth - include Penélope Cruz, Gemma Ward and Geoffrey Rush.