Credit: DisneyIt’s not a secret that Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the world’s most popular franchises, and numbers prove it has infiltrated Disney’s world of animation.
Based on the popular attraction of the same name at places like Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, Pirates of the Caribbean has been entertaining audiences for the last 20 years. Debuting in 2003 with director Gore Verbinski’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the five-movie-strong series has grossed $4.5 billion worldwide and is the 15th highest-grossing franchise of all time.
While the attraction has its own dedicated fanbase, the Pirates series exploded thanks to Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the leading character Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp’s most internationally recognized and commercial role to date has been lauded as one of the best performances of all time and even scored the Hollywood star an Academy Award nomination back in 2004.
Depp has appeared in all installments of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, from Black Pearl to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), but, at present, will not return for any more sequels.
Related: Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow Status Confirmed
After a string of legal battles concerning domestic abuse allegations and his relationship with ex-wife and fellow actor Amber Heard (The Rum Diary, Aquaman), Depp is no longer part of the beloved Disney franchise, nor is he involved with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter spinoff, the Fantastic Beasts franchise. He was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen in his role as dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.
Following the libel trial against British publication The Sun and News Group Newspapers LTD in 2020, where Justice Andrew Nicol sided with the news outlet, and the defamation trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, where the jury found Heard had defamed her ex-husband, Depp’s role as Jack Sparrow in the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is in flux.
During the six-week defamation trial, which was presided over by Judge Penney Azcarate, Depp testified that he would not return to play Captain Jack Sparrow for Disney even if they offered him $300 million. After reports that the House of Mouse had pitched a $301 million deal, producer Jerry Bruckheimer stated that he would love to work with Depp again and that the screenplay is still under development. Later, Depp seemingly rescinded his comments about rejoining the Pirates franchise, with sources close to the actor stating he would come back if the project were right.
It’s clear due to the immense support Depp still has that fans would rejoice at his return as Jack Sparrow, and this new data shows that he has the power to reignite the struggling Disney box office.
Per The Direct, it can be seen that Pirates of the Caribbean has infiltrated Disney’s bastion of animated movies. From IMDb, the top 10 movies (via user ratings) from Walt Disney Pictures feature only one live-action movie — Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
With an 8.1 rating, the freshman Pirates movie sits at number eight in this top 10 list. It is joined by The Lion King (1994) at number one with an 8.5 score, Coco (2017) second with 8.4, Wall-E (2008) third with 8.4, Toy Story (1995) fourth with 8.3, Up (2009) fifth with 8.5, Toy Story 3 (2010) is sixth with 8.3, Finding Nemo (2003) seventh at 8.2, Ratatouille (2007) ninth with 8.1, and finally Inside Out (2015) at 10 with 8.1.
Related: Disney Finally Talks Johnny Depp’s Return to ‘Pirates’ Franchise
The fact that Pirates of the Caribbean can still hold its own against the weight of not only Disney’s animated efforts but also outperform all other live-action Disney movies for the last 20 years is a feat in itself. Of course, this is just one snapshot of the “best” Disney movies, but after events of the last few years, it’s not hard to see why Depp’s Pirates is still celebrated to this day.
At present, Depp is on tour with the band Hollywood Vampires even after recent health scares have worried fans. He made his return to the big screen in Jeanne du Barry (2023) earlier this year, where he plays the controversial French monarch King Louis XV.
Do you think Pirates of the Caribbean is one of Walt Disney Pictures’ best movies? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!