Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

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. It has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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
 * Ireland
 * Spain
 * Cádiz
 * Florida
 * Palm Tree Grove
 * Jungle Pools
 * Fountain of Youth
 * Whitecap Bay

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

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.

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.

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

Trivia

 * 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.