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.

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.

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.

It has been considered that the movie will be in 3-D in theaters after the success of Avatar.

In April 9th, 2010, British actor Stephen Graham has been confirmed as Scrum, a new pirate character for the film. Johnny Depp is also in talks with Mick Jagger about being a pirate elder along with Keith Richards, who played Teague in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. On April 14, 2010, Walt Disney Pictures has confirmed that French actress, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, will be in the film as a mermaid named Syrena. On April 16, 2010, Sam Claflin has 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. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides began filming on June 14, 2010, with their budget of $200 million. Filming ended, and post-production began on November 19, 2010.

Cast

 * Johnny Depp ... Captain Jack Sparrow
 * Geoffrey Rush ... Captain Hector Barbossa
 * Penélope Cruz ... Angelica (Blackbeard's daughter)
 * 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
 * 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 ... Unknown Cabin Boy (TBA)
 * Derek Mears ... Zombie
 * Luke Roberts ... Unknown role
 * Óscar Jaenada ... Spaniard
 * Bronson Webb ... Cook
 * Richard Allan ... Unknown role
 * Unknown ... 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
 * Teague
 * Jack Sparrow's mother
 * Tamara
 * Gahreng
 * George II of Great Britain
 * John Carteret
 * Henry Pelham
 * Ferdinand VI of Spain
 * Spaniard

Creatures

 * Mermaid
 * Zombie

Objects

 * Jack Sparrow's compass
 * Sword
 * Jack Sparrow's sword
 * Blackbeard's sword
 * Angelica's sword
 * Hector Barbossa's sword
 * Cannon
 * Flintlock pistol
 * Jack Sparrow's pistol
 * Sao Feng's navigational charts
 * Magical chalice

Locations

 * Great Britain
 * London
 * St. James' Palace
 * Captain's Daughter
 * Florida
 * Fountain of Youth
 * Mermaid Waters

Organizations and groups

 * British Empire
 * Royal Guard
 * British Royal Navy
 * Spanish Empire
 * Pirates

Ships

 * Black Pearl
 * Queen Anne's Revenge
 * HMS Providence

Videos
Video:Jack Sparrow Comic-Con 2010 Greeting *Official*|On Stranger Tides Comic-Con Announcement Video:Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Official Trailer|On Stranger Tides Official Trailer

Video:Official Trailer 2 - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

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.

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?' "

Novelization
A junior novelization of the film is set to be released on April 5, 2011. No further details of it have been released yet.

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.