Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

"Live Forever...Or Die Trying."

- Tagline

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, to be released on May 20, 2011 as the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and its predecessors. It stars Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow), Penélope Cruz (Angelica), Ian McShane (Blackbeard), and Geoffrey Rush (Captain Hector Barbossa). It was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall.

Synopsis
Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penélope Cruz), he's not sure if it's love&mdash;or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past.

The international cast include franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack's longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.

The Spanish's discovery
"No, I told you, Ponce de León died two hundred years ago..." "Aye, but he died searching for something, didn't he?" "The Fountain of Youth...How soon can you sail?" "With the tide."

- Captain, Fisherman, King Ferdinand and the Spaniard

Off the coast of Spain, two fishermen find a man in their nets who claims to be a member of the crew of Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish Conquistador who was supposed to have died two hundred years previously while on an expedition in search for the Fountain of Youth. The man is brought to Cádiz before King Ferdinand and before dying gives the king Ponce de León's logbook. Ferdinand orders his most trusted man, known only as The Spaniard, to find the Fountain.

London
"I am informed you have come to London to procure a crew for your ship." "Vicious rumor. Not true."

- King George and Jack Sparrow

Meanwhile in London, Joshamee Gibbs, being mistaken for Jack Sparrow, is being put on trial in the Old Bailey courthouse for piracy. A mysterious Judge Smith condemns Gibbs to life in prison, rather than a hanging, much to the surprise of the crowd, and allows Gibbs to be transferred to jail under minimum security. The Judge is revealed to be Jack Sparrow, who has come to save his former First Mate, and bribed the carriage driver to transport them to shore. Gibbs informs Jack about the rumors of him recruiting a crew, which Jack renounces as completely false, and quite insulting. But he also decides to find the imposter, because he needed a ship to escape from England.

But instead to the shore, their carriage leads them to the Royal Palace, where they are arrested by the British Royal Guards, who have also bribed the driver. Jack is brought before King George Augustus, who asks him to guide a British expedition to find the Fountain of Youth. Jack is then introduced to the leader of the expedition; Hector Barbossa, now a privateer in the King's service and missing a leg. Barbossa reveals to Jack that the Black Pearl was lost in battle, which also cost him his leg. Jack angrily reacts at hearing the loss of his beloved Pearl, which leads to him causing enough disruption and havoc to make one of his legendary escapes. He robs a noblewoman in the process, and was saved from a King's soldier by his father, Captain Teague. At the Captain's Daughter pub, Teague informs Jack about the items he'll need for the ritual needed to perform at the Fountain.

Jack then confronts the impostor, who engages him in a stalemate duel in the storeroom of the Captain's Daughter. After a while of fighting, the impostor is turns out to be Angelica, his former love interest. Angelica reveals to Jack that she needs him to guide her to the Fountain. Suddenly, the King's soldiers arrive, and after a fierce fight Jack and Angelica escape by jumping to the river Thames. Angelica's assistant drugs Jack with a dart and he is then taken aboard a ship.

Aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge
"You've nay been informed of the destination. Death lies before us, as we sail...for the Fountain of Youth."

- Jack Sparrow

Five days later, Jack wakes up and discovers that he's on the Queen Anne's Revenge, a ship of the infamous pirate Blackbeard. He also discovers that Blackbeard is Angelica's father and that his quest for the Fountain is an attempt to break a prophecy, foreseen by the quartermaster, that reveals his death at the hands of a one legged man. The same night, Jack raises a full-scale mutiny aboard the Revenge, which was successful until foiled by Blackbeard who uses his sword to hang the crewmen with the ship's rigging. Later, in Blackbeard's cabin, Blackbeard reveals that he must reach the Fountain of Youth before the prophecy of his death, told by the Quartermaster, comes true. Blackbeard's manipulation over a voodoo doll of Jack forced Jack to reconsider leading him to the Fountain. Later, Angelica reveals to Jack that the Black Pearl was captured by Blackbeard, who shrunk it and put it in a bottle, and placed in a cabinet full of a dozen other ships. Much to Jack's chagrin, Jack the monkey has also been shrunk into the bottle.

Aboard the Providence
"We've fallen behind!"

- Hector Barbossa to Joshamee Gibbs

Back in England, Barbossa forces Joshamee Gibbs to join his crew on the HMS Providence, after Gibbs burns the Mao Kun map to avoid hanging. Now Gibbs is the only one besides Jack who knew the way to the Fountain. During the journey, Barbossa faces a great deal of skepticism from his officers, yet manages to placate them all. The Providence encounters the Spanish fleet, commanded by the Spaniard. Though Barbossa prepares him men for the battle, the Spanish ships just pass them by without opening fire. Barbossa is alarmed by this, as it is clear the Fountain is the prize and they aren't even worth the time to sink. He then orders full sails ahead to Whitecap Bay.

Mermaid hunt at Whitecap Bay
"Mermaid waters, that be our path!"

- Hector Barbossa to the crew of the HMS Providence

One of the items needed for the ritual was the mermaid's tear, so Blackbeard leads the Queen Anne's Revenge to Whitecap Bay, a mermaid nesting place. During the hunt, the crew suffers heavy casualties, but they manage to capture a young mermaid, Syrena, thanks to Philip, a young missionary who despises Blackbeard.

Later, the Providence arrives at the same place. Barbossa and the part of the crew go ashore, but angry mermaids attack and sink the Providence, killing the rest of the crew in the process, leaving Barbossa, Gibbs, Gillette, Groves, and a handful of officers left.

The search
"Clergyman. On the off chance that this does not go well for me, I would like you to note it–hearing now–that I am fully prepared to believe in whatever I must, so that I may be welcomed into that place where all the "goody-goodies" get to go. Savvy?" "We have a word for that, Jack. You can convert." "I was thinking more of an as-needed basis."

- Jack Sparrow and Philip Swift

Blackbeard and his men search for the Fountain through the jungle-infested island, guided by Jack's compass, and carrying Syrena in a glass tank. When they arrive to the river and the broken bridge, Blackbeard sends Jack to find the Santiago, Ponce de León's ship, and the mythical silver Chalices which he needed for the ritual. The rest of the crew continues the journey to the Fountain. When Blackbeard obtains Syrena's tear by heavily wounding Philip, he leaves her tied up at the pools to slowly die.

Jack finds the Santiago, and Barbossa inside. They discover that the chalices were taken by the Spanish. They decide to join forces. Under the cover of the night, Jack and Barbossa steal the chalices from the Spanish, and though they were captured for a brief time, they manage to escape. Jack rejoins Blackbeard's men, while Barbossa sets an ambush for them at the Fountain.

Battle at the Fountain of Youth
"Kill them all!"

- Blackbeard

Blackbeard's men arrive at the Fountain, where a huge battle begins between them and Barbossa's crew. Suddenly, the Spanish arrive too, and the Spaniard claims the Fountain a heathen place and orders it destroyed. Using the moment of distraction, Barbossa stabs Blackbeard with his poisoned sword. Angelica tries to help her father, and accidentally cuts her hand on the poisoned blade. The Spanish start to destroy the temple around the Fountain, because they saw the Fountain as the abomination of the God's laws. Barbossa takes Blackbeard's sword as his own, and Blackbeard's men join him, and they all leave. While the remaining zombies attempt to stop the Spanish, the Spaniard throws the Chalices in the deep well and departs, but Syrena, who was saved by Philip, brings the Chalices back to Jack. Jack fills the Chalices with the water from the Fountain and pours Syrena's tear into one of them. Blackbeard asks Angelica to sacrifice herself for him, and though she was willing to do that, Jack tricks Blackbeard to drink from the wrong chalice, which saves Angelica and kills Blackbeard, deeply angering her.

Epilogue
Back on the shore, Barbossa takes full command of the Queen Anne's Revenge and sails for Tortuga, with the power of his new sword, turning to piracy once again. Jack then takes a row boat to a island. Angelica tells Jack she is pregnant with his child, but he refuses to listen, and they both declare their love for each other. However, just before they kiss, Jack maroons a very ungrateful Angelica on a deserted island, unable to trust her, and leaves her with a pistol with one shot, which she uses to fire at Jack but misses. Jack rejoins Joshamee Gibbs, who managed to steal the shrunken Pearl in a bottle, along with the other shrunken ships, from Blackbeard's cabin. While they have no idea how to get it back to normal, both the pirates are happy to have the beloved ship back in safe hands.

Later, an angry Angelica finds Jack's voodoo doll as it washed up ashore.

Casting
Johnny Depp previously stated that he would love to play Captain Jack Sparrow again, but only if the script was good. On September 25, 2008, Walt Disney Pictures, with Depp, formally announced that he was signed on for the fourth film. Geoffrey Rush also expressed interest in playing the role of Captain Hector Barbossa again and has also been signed on.

After filming for At World's End was completed, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom both announced that they would not be reprising their roles, as they wanted to pursue different projects, and they felt that the Will/Elizabeth storyline had gone as far as it could. It has since been confirmed that neither Bloom or Knightley are returning. On February 5, 2010, Mackenzie Crook, who played Ragetti in the films, has stated that he will not return because he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Keith Richards, who played Captain Teague in At World's End, is set to return. Greg Ellis, who played Theodore Groves in the films, has been confirmed to return. Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed that Kevin McNally will return as Joshamee Gibbs.

New cast members include Ian McShane, confirmed to play the notorious pirate, Blackbeard, and Penélope Cruz, who has been confirmed to play Blackbeard's daughter, Angelica (also Jack Sparrow's love interest). Astrid Bergès-Frisbey will play a mermaid named Syrena, and Sam Claflin will play a missionary named Philip. Stephen Graham has been confirmed to play Scrum, a Machiavellian pirate and the sidekick to Jack Sparrow.

Cast

 * Johnny Depp ... Captain Jack Sparrow
 * Geoffrey Rush ... Captain Hector Barbossa
 * Penélope Cruz ... Angelica
 * Ian McShane ... Blackbeard
 * Kevin McNally ... Joshamee Gibbs
 * Stephen Graham... Scrum
 * Greg Ellis ... Lt. Theodore Groves
 * Damian O'Hare ... Lt. Gillette
 * Astrid Bergès-Frisbey ... Syrena
 * Sam Claflin ... Philip Swift
 * Keith Richards ... Captain Teague
 * Gemma Ward ... Tamara
 * Yuki Matsuzaki ... Gahreng
 * Richard Griffiths ... King George II of Great Britain
 * Anton Lesser ... John Carteret
 * Roger Allam ... Henry Pelham
 * Judi Dench... Noblewoman
 * Sebastian Armesto ... King Ferdinand VI of Spain|
 * Paul Bazely ... Salaman
 * Richard Thomson ... Derrick
 * Robbie Kay ... Cabin Boy (TBA)
 * Derek Mears ... Zombie
 * Luke Roberts ... Unknown role
 * Óscar Jaenada ... Spaniard
 * Bronson Webb ... Cook
 * Richard Allan ... Unknown role
 * Ian Mercer ... Quartermaster

Appearances
For character appearances with known portrayers see the "Cast" section.

Individuals

 * Jack Sparrow
 * Hector Barbossa
 * Angelica
 * Blackbeard
 * Joshamee Gibbs
 * Scrum
 * Theodore Groves
 * Gillette
 * Syrena
 * Philip Swift
 * Teague
 * Jack Sparrow's mother
 * Tamara
 * Gahreng
 * Spaniard
 * George II of Great Britain
 * Ferdinand VI of Spain
 * John Carteret
 * Henry Pelham
 * Ferdinand VI of Spain
 * Spaniard

Creatures

 * Mermaid
 * Zombie
 * Jack
 * Cotton's Parrot

Objects

 * Jack Sparrow's compass
 * Sword
 * Jack Sparrow's sword
 * Sword of Triton
 * Angelica's swords
 * Hector Barbossa's sword
 * Spaniard's sword
 * Scrum's sword
 * Cannon
 * Flintlock pistol
 * Jack Sparrow's pistol
 * Hector Barbossa's pistols
 * Mao Kun map
 * Chalices of Cartagena
 * Profane Ritual
 * Dark Magic
 * Voodoo
 * Voodoo Doll
 * Jack Sparrow voodoo doll
 * Logbook of the Santiago
 * Union Jack
 * Flag of Spain
 * Jolly Roger (flag)

Locations

 * Great Britain
 * England
 * London
 * St. James's Palace
 * Captain's Daughter
 * Old Bailey
 * River Thames
 * Tower of London
 * Ireland
 * Spain
 * Cádiz
 * Unnamed island
 * Jungle Pools
 * Palm Tree Grove
 * Spanish camp
 * Fort San Miguel
 * Fountain of Youth
 * Whitecap Bay
 * New Guinea
 * Hispaniola
 * La Martinique
 * Tortuga
 * La Dominique

Organizations and groups

 * British Empire
 * Royal Guard
 * British Royal Navy
 * Spanish Empire
 * Spanish Royal Navy
 * Pirates
 * Crew of the Queen Anne's Revenge

Ships

 * Black Pearl
 * Queen Anne's Revenge
 * HMS Providence
 * Santiago
 * Spaniard's ship
 * Noah's Ark

Pre-production
According to Jim Hill's The Art of Pirates of the Caribbean, the proposed story for the fourth film was for Sparrow and Barbossa to meet up in the newly founded New Orleans, before they sail to find the Fountain of Youth together. It was later confirmed that this was false.

Author Tim Powers revealed that Disney bought the film rights to his 1988 pirate novel, On Stranger Tides, in April 2007. It was speculated that the film's plot will follow the novel's, with Jack Sparrow replacing the novel's protagonist, Jack Shandy. Pirates writer, Terry Rossio, revealed that they will use elements from the novel, but the film will not be based on it.

In September 2009, Dick Cook, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, resigned after holding his position for over 38 years. The circumstances of his resignation are unknown, but most speculate he resigned due to his conflicting business tactics with CEO Bob Iger. Iger sought out "new ways of doing business", while Cook remained a traditionalist. After Cook's resignation, Johnny Depp's faith in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has somewhat shaken, with Depp explaining:

''"There’s a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment. It was all born in that office". Depp also explained Cook was one of the few that accepted his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, claiming that "When things went a little sideways on the first Pirates movie and others at the studio were less than enthusiastic about my interpretation of the character, Dick was there from the first moment. He trusted me."''

On November 15, 2009, Disney has announced that they would pay Johnny Depp $55.5 million to return as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Disney announced, on January 7, 2010, that Pirates 4 will be released on May 20, 2011. During February 2010, the ship that played the Black Pearl, the Sunset, set sail to Hawaii to prepare for the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides during the summer of 2010, where it will portray the Queen Anne's Revenge.

In April 9th, 2010, British actor Stephen Graham was been confirmed as Scrum, a new pirate character for the film. On April 14, 2010, Walt Disney Pictures confirmed that French actress, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, will be in the film as a mermaid named Syrena. On April 16, 2010, Sam Claflin was been confirmed to play a missionary named Philip.

On May 17, 2010, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Rich Ross has confirmed that the film will be shot and released in 3D.

Filming
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides began filming on June 14, 2010, with their budget of $200 million. Filming was scheduled to move to California in August 2010, and some scenes were filmed at Pinewood Studios in London.

On June 15, 2010, the first pictures of Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, were revealed. On June 21, 2010, it was announced that production would be occurring simultaneously in Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, on the island of Palominos, and Los Angeles, California.

Penélope Cruz was pregnant throughout production, but it wasn't noticeable until September, 2010. As Penélope's baby bump grew, it caused some difficulties in wardrobe, so the producers enlisted the help of Cruz's younger identical sister, Mónica Cruz. According to reports, Penélope filmed the close-up shots, while Mónica doubled for her in the long-distance scenes as the wardrobe department had struggled to hide the pregnancy.

Filming ended on November 19, 2010.

Title
After the release of At World's End, Disney announced a possibility of a fourth Pirates film. The proposed title for the fourth film, which was highly used by both fans and critics, was Pirates of the Caribbean: The Fountain of Youth. However, during the D23 Expo on September 11, 2009, Johnny Depp, as Captain Jack Sparrow, officially announced that the title of the fourth Pirates film would be Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. It was later confirmed, by Tim Powers, that Disney bought the film rights to his 1988 novel, On Stranger Tides, in April 2007. Pirates writer Terry Rossio stated that they used common elements from the novel for the film's script.

Soundtrack
Hans Zimmer began working on the musical score on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in January 2011. Zimmer worked with composer Eric Whitacre along with Whitacre's wife, Hila Plitmann, on the mermaid theme for the film. The Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela also collaborated with Zimmer in writing and recording the score. Mitchell Leib, President of Music and Soundtracks for the Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group stated :

"We'd always felt it a creative necessity that the 'Pirates of the Caribbean 4' score have an original sound all its own and to distinguish itself from the first three films. With the inspiring addition of Rodrigo y Gabriela's unique artistry under the direction of maestro Hans 'Long John' Zimmer, this iconic score franchise take its next step forward with an imaginative, fresh and individual new sound."

The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides soundtrack will be available on May 17, 2011.

Marketing

 * On July 22, 2010, during the San Diego Comic-Con, Johnny Depp appeared as Captain Jack Sparrow on screen to attendees, stating that he would not be recruiting a crew for a voyage to the Fountain of Youth. He also said that if that were the case, such a journey would involve dangers such as "zombies, cutthroats, mermaids, and the vicious and vivacious Penélope Cruz."
 * Jerry Bruckheimer announced that the film's teaser trailer would premiere in front of Tron: Legacy on Friday December 17, 2010. It was later confirmed that the trailer would premiere online on December 13, 2010.

Worldwide release
The film premiered on May 7, 2011 at Disneyland. It was released from UK and US releases on May 18 and May 20 respectively.

Novelization
A junior novelization of the film was released on April 12, 2011.

Trivia

 * Only six of the cast who appeared in the previous Pirates films returned in character in On Stranger Tides: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Keith Richards, Greg Ellis, and Damian O'Hare.
 * According to Pirates writer Terry Rossio, the seed of this film was actually a single image:


 * "Jack Sparrow dancing with somebody on deck. More of a romantic period dance. A ship in the moonlight, and Jack Sparrow having to dance to maybe seduce somebody. So you write that on a card and say, 'Why is Jack Sparrow dancing?' "


 * When making The Curse of the Black Pearl, the scriptwriters revealed that they placed the story in a thirty-year environment set loosely between 1720 and 1750. They also said that they did not intend the films to be entirely historically accurate. However, it was revealed that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides takes place in 1750.