Jerry Bruckheimer, the film producer behind franchises likeTop Gun,Bad Boys, andPirates of the Caribbean, talks about the first time Disney execs sawJohnny Deppplaying theiconic pirate character Jack Sparrow. The captain seeking to recover his ship was inspired by a combination of rock artist Keith Richards and variations of Looney Tunes animated characters, but it was a rendition thatDisney’s bosses did not quite get at the beginning. Can you really imagine Jack Sparrow not beingtheJack Sparrow we have all come to love?
Bruckheimer sat down withDeadlineto talk about his latest movie endeavor, the sports drama starring Brad Pitt,F1. The producer navigated through his most important franchises, and recalled his time making the 2003 adventure filmPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He was one of the few who understood Depp’s performance as the over-the-top and confident pirate. But apparently, Disney’s execs were not in tune with Depp and started asking too many questions when the actor got in character during a meeting:
“It was interesting, but ‘Oh my God, what are we going to do here?’ That part was written for Burt Lancaster. It wasn’t written with the humor. I said, ‘How are we going to get this past Disney?’
“And then we had meetings with them, and he had all these gold teeth he wanted to put in. We finally convinced Johnny to take some of the gold teeth out, but they really didn’t know what he was going to do. And when the dailies came in, they said, ‘Oh my God, we got to switch actors. This is not going to work. Is he gay? Is he drunk? What is going on here?’ So what we did is, we cut a sequence together and showed him off and why it worked. Once they saw that, they kind of went along with the ride for us, with us.”
“A Script Is Already in Place”: Johnny Depp Is in “Advanced Talks” to Set Sail in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’
There could still be choppy waters ahead, but new reports have claimed that Captain Jack Sparrow is ready to set sail once again.
In the end, it all worked out for Bruckheimer, Disney, and Depp, who would see his career soar to new heights.Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearlwas a triumph for Disney in their department of live-action films, grossing over $654 million and becoming one of the year’s most successful films. It also started a very successful franchise.
The critical reception was also notable, with the film earning five nominations at the Academy Awards, including a Best Actor nod for Depp (his first nomination at the Oscars). Today,the film sits at 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a slightly higher rating of 86% for the audience score.
Depp’s Jack Sparrow Remains the Best Character in Pirate Films
Depp’s rendition of the Jack Sparrow is far and away his most iconic performance. Not only does he often revisit it for the satisfaction of viewers and children in hospitals, but it could end up being the role that sees him return to Hollywood in a major movie for the first time since his forced hiatus. There are no confirmationsabout a possible return for the actor, but the rumors are always floating. Depp reprising Sparrow seems like the only reason thePiratesfranchise could (and should) rise from the ashes.
Then again, Disney has other options on the table according to reports. A Depp-lessPirates of the Caribbeanentry that fully reboots the franchise has also been rumored for some time. We don’t need to tell you how big a risk both paths pose. One thing that seems impossible to consider, though, is recasting the role of Jack Sparrow, meaning the only question is whether Disney bites the bullet and brings back Jack Sparrow, or completely reworks the franchise without him.
Source:Deadline
Pirates of the Caribbean
