Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 American swashbuckler film and the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, following At World's End (2007). The film was directed by Rob Marshall, and written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, loosely based on the 1987 novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. Johnny Depp, Kevin R. McNally and Geoffrey Rush reprise their roles from the previous films, with Penélope Cruz and Ian McShane joining the cast. The story follows the eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow on a quest for the Fountain of Youth after crossing paths with Angelica, a mysterious woman from his past, and being forced aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard.
On Stranger Tides was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. During the back-to-back production of Dead Man's Chest (2006) and At World's End, writers Elliott and Rossio first learned of Powers' novel and considered it a good starting point for a new film in the series. Pre-production started after the end of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, with Depp collaborating with the writers on the story design. Gore Verbinski did not return as director from previous films reportedly due to his commitment with Rango (2011). Principal photography lasted for 106 days between June and November 2010, with locations in Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico and California. Filming employed 3D cameras, and ten companies were involved with the film's visual effects. Following inflated production costs which ballooned the net budget to $379 million, the film was the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release.
On Stranger Tides premiered at the Disneyland Resort on May 7, 2011, and was theatrically released in the United States on May 20. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $1 billion worldwide, breaking several box office records and becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2011. A fifth film, Dead Men Tell No Tales, was released in 2017.
Plot
Around 1750, some 21 years after Captain Jack Sparrow acquired Sao Feng's map to find the Fountain of Youth and the Black Pearl stolen by Hector Barbossa, a castaway found in the ocean was brought to King Ferdinand at Cádiz, holding a ship's logbook of Ponce de León, who died 200 years earlier searching for the Fountain. Meanwhile, Jack rescues his first mate, Joshamee Gibbs, from execution in London, only to get captured. Gibbs takes Jack's map, while Jack himself meets King George II, who wants him to guide an expedition to locate the Fountain before the Spanish Navy, led by The Spaniard. Barbossa joins the expedition, now as a privateer wearing a peg leg having lost it in the fight along with the Pearl, believed to be sunk. Jack escapes, leading Barbossa to later recruit Gibbs, who memorizes Jack's map before burning it to save his life, and they set sail aboard the British Navy ship HMS Providence.
Captain Teague, Jack's father, tells him that the Profane Ritual is required to use the Fountain. Jack also hears of another Jack Sparrow recruiting a crew. The impostor is Angelica, Jack's former lover and daughter of Blackbeard, who practices voodoo magic as a brujo, and Jack is shanghaied aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. The crew includes Philip, a captured missionary, and zombie officers. Although Jack incites the human crew to mutiny, Blackbeard subdues the mutineers with a sword that allows him to control ships at sea. Blackbeard wants to find the Fountain because of a prophesied death by a one-legged man. Jack also learns from Angelica that the ritual requires water from the Fountain, a mermaid's tear, and two silver chalices located on Ponce de León's ship, the Santiago; both chalices are drunk, and the person who drinks the water with the tear gets all the years of life from the other. Angelica also shows Jack Blackbeard's collection of captured, miniaturized ships in bottles, including the Black Pearl.
The Revenge sails to Whitecap Bay, where Blackbeard's crew captures the mermaid Syrena. Barbossa, Gibbs, and some of the British crew continue on foot after the Providence is attacked by mermaids. Syrena's tail becomes legs after being out of water; seeing that she cannot walk, Philip offers to carry Syrena. After their newfound love is used to extract the mermaid's tear, Syrena is left to die. Blackbeard sends Jack to get the chalices, taking the latter's magic compass. Jack and Barbossa meet on the Santiago, but find the chalices have been taken by the Spanish. Before retrieving the chalices, Barbossa reveals his true agenda: a desire for revenge against Blackbeard, detailing the attack on the Black Pearl, which Barbossa truly believes to be sunk, which led to him cutting off his leg. Jack returns to Blackbeard, giving him the chalices in exchange for Jack's compass, which Jack sends off with Gibbs.
All parties locate the Fountain of Youth, which leads to a battle, in which Barbossa uses a sword he poisoned using "poisonous toads" to stab Blackbeard. Angelica cuts her hand on the poisoned blade. The Spaniard throws the chalices into a deep pool and, believing it is an abomination against God, orders his men to destroy the Fountain. In the chaos, Philip frees Syrena, who gives the chalices to Jack. Filling the chalices with the remaining drops of water from the Fountain, adding Syrena's tear, Jack tricks Blackbeard into drinking the chalice lacking the tear; this earns his and Angelica's enmity. Angelica is healed, whilst Blackbeard dies, while Syrena returns to an injured Philip and, after she forgives him, they kiss and return underwater.
Barbossa claims Blackbeard's ship, crew, and sword for his own, and returns to a life of piracy. Meanwhile, Jack maroons Angelica on a small island, expressing his love and mistrust. Jack reunites with Gibbs, who uses the compass to locate the Revenge and retrieve the Black Pearl in a bottle. As they figure out how to get the Pearl out, Jack tells Gibbs he is determined to continue living the pirate's life.
In the post-credits scene, the voodoo doll of Jack created by Blackbeard washes ashore and is picked up by Angelica, who smiles.
Cast
Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow: Legendary pirate, former captain of the Black Pearl. Penélope Cruz as Angelica: Jack's former love interest, first mate and daughter of Blackbeard. As the production date for On Stranger Tides neared, Penélope Cruz found out she was pregnant with her first child, a son with Javier Bardem. Director Rob Marshall and producer Jerry Bruckheimer worried Cruz might back out, despite Bruckheimer himself saying it did not affect production,Johnny Depp And Penelope Cruz Have 'Great Chemistry,' Says 'Pirates' Producer - MTV but Cruz remained committed to the film. To accommodate her condition, the schedule was adjusted to shoot more of Cruz's scenes before she started to show. The costume designer created an elastic corset to allow the actress to move more freely, and Cruz's outfits were constantly being altered. "I just had a new fitting every three weeks," Cruz said. "We kept having fittings, but they were very, very kind to do it." Cruz did all of her close-up action scenes, though her pregnancy forced the filmmakers to use a stunt double on more of the wide shots.'Pirates Of The Caribbean': Penelope Cruz Talks Johnny Depp, Pregnancy (VIDEO) - HuffPost Entertainment In September 2010, after it became noticeable on set at Puerto Rico, representatives of Cruz and Bardem confirmed she was four-and-a-half months pregnant.Penélope Cruz Is 4½-Months Pregnant - PEOPLE - Archived After that, Penélope only filmed Angelica's close-ups while her sister Mónica did all of Angelica's long-distance shots. Ian McShane as Blackbeard: Legendary pirate, captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge, and Angelica's father. McShane was previously considered to play Davy Jones (later portrayed by Bill Nighy) in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Geoffrey Rush as Captain Hector Barbossa: Legendary pirate-turned-privateer, Jack's rival, former captain of the Black Pearl, and now captain of the HMS Providence. Kevin McNally as Joshamee Gibbs: Jack's loyal friend, and former first mate of the Black Pearl. Sam Claflin as Philip: A missionary, kept prisoner aboard Blackbeard's ship, and Syrena's love interest. Although the character's full name is "Philip Swift", he is only named and credited as "Philip" in the film. Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey as Syrena: A mermaid captured by Blackbeard's crew, and Philip's love interest. Stephen Graham as Scrum: A self-serving crew member of the Queen Anne's Revenge. Richard Griffiths as King George II Greg Ellis as Lt. Cmdr. Theodore Groves: Barbossa's second-in-command aboard the Providence. Ellis reprises his role as an officer under the command of Commodore James Norrington in The Curse of the Black Pearl and Lord Cutler Beckett in At World's End. Óscar Jaenada as The Spaniard: King Ferdinand's most trusted agent. Keith Richards appears as Captain Teague, legendary pirate and Jack Sparrow's father, reprising his role from At World's End. Damian O'Hare reprises his role as Lieutenant Gillette from The Curse of the Black Pearl. King George's ministers include Roger Allam as Prime Minister Henry Pelham and Anton Lesser as Lord John Carteret. Other Spanish characters include Sebastian Armesto as King Ferdinand and Juan Carlos Vellido as a Spanish captain. Judi Dench has a cameo appearance as a society lady who encounters Jack Sparrow in a carriage.
Production Development By September 2006, Mark Zoradi, president of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group was quoted as saying, "The third film... will conclude the initial Pirates trilogy, though it is unlikely to be the last Pirates sequel." Terry Rossio said in 2007 that a fourth film was possible, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer expressed interest in a spin-off. Director Gore Verbinski concurred that "all of the stories set in motion by the first film have been resolved. If there ever were another Pirates of the Caribbean film, I would start fresh and focus on the further adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow."
Shortly before the premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Bruckheimer stated it was the end of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, but the idea of a spin-off was still possible. After the film's successful opening weekend, Dick Cook, then Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, said he was interested in a fourth installment. Los Angeles Times also reported that rights to a book were bought. Johnny Depp was expected to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow. Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio had started working on a script in 2007, but they were interrupted by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, and only resumed in mid-2008.