Monkey trouble holds up Pirates 5

Jack the capuchin monkey from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean.

Filming for Pirates of the Caribbean 5 could be delayed, all thanks to a bit of monkey business in Australian quarantine.

One of the film's crucial characters, Jack the capuchin monkey, will be stuck in quarantine for more than a month unless the movie's producers can convince local authorities to relax their strict biosecurity laws.

Jack, who is the cheeky and bad-tempered offsider to Geoffrey Rush's character Captain Hector Barbossa, has appeared in all four previous Pirates instalments and is usually played by two specially trained monkeys.

Geoffrey Rush and Jack the monkey.

All animals entering Australia undergo "rigorous health and biosecurity checks", a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said.

"Once this particular species of animal arrives in Australia, they are subject to a 30-day quarantine period before release under quarantine surveillance into premises approved by the appropriate State or Territory Government for the holding of the imported species," the spokesman told News Corp.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is due to start shooting early next year on the Gold Coast, where set construction is already under way.

A scene from Pirates of the Caribbean.

It will be the biggest film ever shot in Australia, with the federal government contributing $21.6 million towards production and Hollywood actors Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom also heading Down Under to shoot.

Producers have reportedly contacted Queensland Premier Campbell Newman to try and have the quarantine rules relaxed.

- AAP