Pirates of the Caribbean 4: It Just Won't Die

Greetings.


More news is flooding in on Disney's fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

The series, based off the Disney theme park ride of the same name, started back in 2003 and starred Johnny Depp as the roguish Captain Jack Sparrow, Orlando Bloom as the heroic Will Turner, Kiera Knightley as beautiful Elizabeth Swann, and Geoffrey Rush as the villainous Captain Barbossa. These first three films were directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Together they grossed a total revenue of over 2.5 billion dollars.

As many of you know, it does not matter what critics think of a franchise, it's what the fans think. And the Pirates of the Caribbean movies are generally rated as follows: Curse of the Black Pearl: "Awesome!" Dead Man's Chest: "Ehh, okay" (Although it was my personal favorite). At World's End: "Sucks!!!" It's true, the franchise lost a bit of its flair with the last instalment. So I'm wondering, how are they planning to keep it afloat with a fourth movie??

Disney acquired the film rights to Tim Powers' bestselling book, On Stranger Tides, sometimes in 2009. The book, focusing on the quest for the Fountain of Youth, will be the main reference for the development of the fourth movie, also called On Stranger Tides. Johnny Depp has already been paid 55 million to reprise his role as Captain Sparrow, and Geoffrey Rush has signed on as well. Unfortunately, Gore Verbinski will not be returning as director, having fallen out with Disney last year. New cast members include Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane, with the latter slated to play the notorious pirate, Blackbeard. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley will not be returning (which is not news), and now Mackenzie Crook, who played the wooden-eyed pirate hand Ragetti, has stated that he will not be returning. This strikes me as a bit of a surprise. Does this mean that the rest of Jack's crew will not be returning as well? Half the fun of the first three films was Jack and Barbossa's recurring crew members. I'm sorry, but I just don't think that the fourth film will be the same without Gibbs, Pintel, Ragetti, Cotton and Marty. They're just too much fun.

Now, the Fountain of Youth storyline. Could be interesting, we'd be able to Jack Sparrow try and cheat death once again, and I am looking forward to seeing him share the screen with Barbossa again as well. The complex relationship between the two of them is always fun to watch. But as far as story goes? I'm skeptical as to the success of a fourth movie when the third one wasn't all that great. And all the actors dropping out? I don't know, call me crazy, but Disney may be going for their first ever cash grab! I know, I know, crazy...

I'll see it when it comes out in 2011, but honestly, I'm not expecting much as far as story goes.


- The BlueScreener