Credit: DisneyAs an adaptation of a theme park attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) was destined to fail. Not only did its source material offer very little in terms of a plot beyond pirates plundering towns, chasing women, and generally being pretty rowdy, but it was the first big-budget attempt of its kind.
Yet somehow, despite the odds, Curse of the Black Pearl was a phenomenon. Raking in $654.3 at the box office and earning Johnny Depp a nomination for Best Actor at the 76th Academy Awards, it started a whole new era of ride-to-cinema adaptations that tried to emulate the franchise’s runaway success.
What followed was the usual Disney formula of multiple sequels, maxed-out merchandise, and even a few further theme park integrations. The remaining two films in the original trilogy – Dead Man’s Chest (2006) and At World’s End (2007) – earned $1.066 billion and $961.6 million, respectively, at the box office, wrapping up the story of its main trio: Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom).
But even as At World’s End thrived financially, Disney was presented with a problem. Elizabeth and Will’s story had very much come to a close, with one named Pirate King and the other Captain of the Flying Dutchman. Both Knightley and Bloom had indicated that they were ready to leave the franchise to pursue other projects.
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Logically speaking, this should’ve marked the end of the series. After all, it was the dynamic and chemistry between its big three that made the films such a success. And, from a storytelling perspective, the series really had reached a natural end.
But Disney rarely lets the call for box office gold go unanswered. Four years later, Captain Jack Sparrow sailed back onto the screen solo in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) – and the franchise swiftly chartered a weaker, less thrilling course.
On Stranger Tides wasn’t bad, per se. It also technically did better than At World’s End, earning $1.046 billion. The issue was that Disney was trying to tell a story that was well past its final chapter, something critics keenly pointed out. It even did it for a second time with the release of a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), which landed 14 years after the original.
As Disney’s current obsession with live-action remakes proves, it struggles to let go of the past. But it’s not just Disney’s fault. Ever since the start of actor Johnny Depp’s legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard (when Disney officially cut ties), the number one priority from a lot of fans has been whether or not Depp can play Captain Jack Sparrow in a sixth film, when he’ll return, and, if he doesn’t, who will replace him as the franchise lead (and will it be Margot Robbie?)
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First and foremost, that should be the least of anyone’s concerns considering the sensitive nature of Depp and Heard’s marital troubles. Second of all, the constant push to bring back Depp as Sparrow implies that he alone was key to the magic of the series – something that the declining popularity of its sequels post-Knightley and Bloom’s exits suggests is far from true – and ignores the fact that Depp himself apparently doesn’t want to return.
But the biggest question is: why are we clinging to something that’s well past its sell-by date? Franchises do, and should, come to an end. A story that ended properly will always be remembered more fondly than one that stuttered its way across the finish line.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales offered a second chance at a redeeming, neatly-tied ending by bringing back Will and Elizabeth for one final cameo as their son broke the curse of tying his father to the Flying Dutchman. Let’s take what we were given, appreciate what we got, and finally put the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise to rest.
Do you want another Pirates of the Caribbean film, or do you think it’s time to finally let the franchise die? Let us know in the comments!