Feature for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Movie Piracy, Caribbean style By Simon Thompson

Think back to the summer of 2003. Walt Disney is getting ready to release a new movie called ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl’. It is the latest in a string of films based on rides that could be found in their theme parks around the world.

The movie came out months after another attempt to fuse the brands – ‘The Country Bears’, a film based on the ‘The Country Bear Jamboree’ attraction - bombed on release.

However, the swashbuckling pirate movie struck a cord with audiences around the world who were clearly hungry for family friendly heroics on the high seas.

The sleeper hit also catapulted stars Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom to the top of the Hollywood A-list, and reinforced Johnny Depp’s reputation as one of Tinseltown’s finest.

Amazingly, Keira almost turned the role of Elizabeth Swann down.

She admits: “I was like, 'Wait a minute, you're going a pirate movie - something that hasn't worked in about 50 years - and it's based on an amusement park ride?’”

“Orlando and I were sitting next to each other at the premiere, which was the first time I'd seen it, and we'd had a big talk and decided that if it was awful, we'd still leave the theatre all smiles.

“Halfway through the film, I nudged him and said, 'It's quite good, isn't it?' and he was like, 'Yeah, it's really good’. We had no idea it would work.”

Little did the then 17-year-old actress know, but the even the film’s producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, had his doubts about how the film would be received. He confessed: “Success was never a sure thing.

“There were limited expectations for the first movie. Lots of people thought we were making a Disney ride movie for toddlers, and what’s more, the pirate genre had been dead for 40 years, and every attempt to revive it had bombed miserably.

Bruckheimer – who has been behind a host of blockbusters, including ‘Armageddon’, Beverly Hills Cop’ and ‘The Rock’ – added: “However, when it was released it caught everybody by surprise, which is the best way to do it.

“The artistry that the director - Gore Verbinski - and the writers brought to it, and the performances by Johnny, Orlando and Keira just captured everybody’s imagination and it became a huge success internationally.”

‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl’ became one of the biggest films of the year and ever since, fans of the film and Disney enthuiasts alike have been chomping at the bit, waiting for a sequel.

With the release of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ that day if finally here. In fact, they’re being totally spoiled as a third film – tentatively titled ‘At World’s End’ – is only months away. Disney plan to release it in the US on Memorial Day weekend in May 2007.

In the first sequel, the curse of the Black Pearl has been lifted, but an even more terrifying threat looms over its captain – Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Depp – and its scurvy crew.

It turns out that Jack owes a blood debt to the legendary Davy Jones, the ruler of the Ocean depths – portrayed by Bill Nighy, hidden under layers of latex, make-up and groundbreaking CGI – and captain of the Flying Dutchman, which no other ship can match in speed and stealth.

Unless the ever-crafty Jack figures a cunning way out of this Faustian pact, he will be cursed to an afterlife of eternal servitude and damnation in the service of Jones.

This startling development interrupts the wedding plans of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann – Bloom and Knightley - who once again find themselves thrust into Jack’s misadventures, risking life and limb to save their friend… and themselves!

What results is a good old fashioned romp, nothing more, nothing less. Despite being a little over long – it clocks in at two and half hours - the film, like its predecessor, has it all, romance, action, excitement, supernatural chills and amazingly choreographed swashbuckling spills - and a giant squid!

So, with that mandate for more ‘Pirates’ pretty much carved in stone, producer Bruckheimer, director Verbinski and Walt Disney Pictures decided just one sequel would not be enough and set about filming the second and third film back to back. All they had to do was secure the biggest draw of the franchise – Johnny Depp. Bruckheimer knew he was onto a winner.

He gushed: “Johnny is one of our greatest actors. He invented Jack Sparrow in the first movie, and he’s not somebody who wants to rest on his laurels for the second and third. He takes a character to even newer heights.

“None of us would be back if Johnny had not wanted to play this character again. He loved making the first movie, and audiences loved him right back.”

An ever bashful Depp is still baffled by the adoration, saying: “It is beyond me how such a character has sort of taken root in some people’s hearts. It’s still shocking to me.

“I was handed this opportunity to make something of this character, and I had pretty solid ideas about who he was and what he should be like. There were a number of people who thought I was nuts.”

One of those people was co-star Knightley. She said: “I remember first seeing him on set and thinking, ‘What the f**k is he doing?’ Then you're like, ‘God, what he's doing is f***ing brilliant!’

“He is an incredible actor to watch because he takes such risks acting-wise, and I can't think of any other movie star who would have played Jack Sparrow the way he did.”

In fact, the performances of her male co-stars have impressed her so much, that at the film’s London premiere she confessed that her ideal man would be a combination of the two!

Keira freely admitted: “If I could have a mixture of the two that would be ideal.

"I think if it was possible to have a bit both - a bit of a nice guy and bit of a bad boy - that would be good.”

Backed by one of the most extensive, and undeniably impressive, marketing campaigns to come out of Hollywood in recent years ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ is expected to have one of the biggest opening weekends ever in the US. That alone will secure the bankability of the franchise and its stars for years to come. No doubt Depp, Bloom, Knightley, Bruckheimer and the rest of the swarthy crew will have more than a good reason to celebrate in true pirate style - with a Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum.

[The film has become Disney's biggest opening film and the second biggest ever in the UK at £28 million. It has also broken 3 records in the US as well (Biggest 3-day opening in history at $132 million, biggest single day gross at $55 million and the fastest film to hit $100 million) - Ed]