Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a 2007 American swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. The direct sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), it is the third installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and follows an urgent quest to locate and save Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), trapped on a sea of sand in Davy Jones' Locker, and convene the Brethren Court in a war against the East India Trading Company. In an uneasy alliance, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), and the Black Pearl crew rescue Jack and prepare to fight Lord Cutler Beckett, who controls Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman.

Two sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl were conceived in 2004, with Elliott and Rossio developing a story arc that would span both films. The film was shot in two shoots during 2005 and 2006, the former of which was released as Dead Man's Chest. This also marks the final film of the series to be directed by Verbinski. With a production budget of US$300 million, it was the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release.

At World's End premiered at the Disneyland Resort on May 19, 2007, then theatrically released in the United States on May 25. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but was the highest-grossing film of 2007, bringing in over $963 million. It was nominated at the 80th Academy Awards for Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects, and won Favorite Movie Actor for Depp at the 2008 Kids' Choice Awards. A standalone sequel, On Stranger Tides, was released in 2011. Dead Men Tell No Tales, released in 2017, followed as a direct continuation of At World's End.

Plot

Now in control of the oceans, Lord Cutler Beckett executes anyone associated with piracy in Port Royal and orders Davy Jones to destroy all pirate ships, also forcing him to kill the Kraken. Condemned prisoners sing 'Hoist the Colours' to compel nine Pirate Lords from around the world to convene at Shipwreck Cove to hold the Brethren Court and address the threat Beckett poses. Because Pirate Lord Jack Sparrow never named a successor before being dragged to Davy Jones' Locker, Hector Barbossa, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Tia Dalma, and the surviving crew of the Black Pearl plot to rescue him. In Singapore, the crew meet Pirate Lord Sao Feng, who owns navigational charts to the Locker before they are attacked by the East India Trading Company. During the battle, Will secretly promises to give Jack to Feng in return for the Pearl, intending to use it to rescue his father "Bootstrap Bill" Turner from the Flying Dutchman.

The crew crosses over into the Locker, rescues Jack and recovers the Pearl. While departing, they encounter boats of dead souls, including Elizabeth's father Governor Swann, executed by Beckett. The goddess Calypso charged Davy Jones with guiding the souls of those who died at sea to the next world; every ten years he could come ashore to be with the woman he loved, but after his lover never arrived to meet him, Jones corrupted his purpose and cursed himself to become a monster. Whoever kills Jones by stabbing his disembodied heart must become the Dutchman's captain.

Returning to the living world, the Pearl stops at an island for fresh water, but the crew is attacked by Sao Feng and Beckett's men. As Jack secretly negotiates his freedom with Beckett, Elizabeth is handed over to Feng, who believes she is Calypso, while the rest of the crew make for Shipwreck Cove aboard the Pearl. Jack throws Will off the ship as part of a plan to seize control of the Dutchman. Sao Feng tells Elizabeth that the first Brethren Court bound Calypso in human form after her lover, Davy Jones, betrayed her; Feng plans to release her to defeat Beckett. Feng is wounded in an attack by Jones, appointing Elizabeth his successor as Pirate Lord before dying. Elizabeth and the crew are locked in the brig of the Dutchman, where she finds Bootstrap Bill losing himself to the Dutchman's curse. Admiral James Norrington frees Elizabeth and her crew from the Dutchman, but is killed by a crazed Bootstrap Bill.

Will is rescued by Beckett and informs Jones of Jack's escape from the Locker, learning in the process that Jones enabled the first Court to imprison Calypso, revealed to be Tia Dalma. The Pearl arrives at Shipwreck Cove, where Barbossa attempts to persuade the Brethren Court to release Calypso while Elizabeth demands they fight back against Beckett. The Keeper of the Code, Captain Teague, informs the Court that only an elected Pirate King can declare war. To avoid a stalemate, Jack votes for Elizabeth, making her King. Elizabeth, Jack, Barbossa, Beckett, Jones, and Will parley, trading Will for Jack. Barbossa frees Calypso, but when Will reveals Jones' betrayal to her, Calypso vanishes and summons a maelstrom, refusing to help either side.

The Pearl and Dutchman battle in the maelstrom. During the battle, Elizabeth and Will are wed by Barbossa. On the Dutchman, Jack and Jones duel for control of Jones' heart. After Jones mortally wounds Will, Jack helps Will stab the heart, killing Jones. Jack and Elizabeth escape the Dutchman, which sinks into the maelstrom. As Beckett's ship, the Endeavour, engages the Pearl, the Dutchman rises from the sea, now captained by Will and its crew freed from Jones' curse. The two pirate ships destroy the Endeavour, killing Beckett, while his armada retreats. With Will bound to have one day ashore and then ten years guiding souls lost at sea to the next world, Will spends it with Elizabeth before leaving her with the chest containing his heart. Barbossa steals the Pearl from Jack again and tells the crew he knows where to find the Fountain of Youth, only to realize Jack has stolen the chart. Jack departs from Tortuga on a small boat to track the fountain down.

In a post-credits scene, ten years later, Elizabeth and her son watch Will return aboard the Dutchman.

Cast

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow: Sparrow and the Black Pearl have been dragged to Davy Jones' Locker by the Kraken; he is trapped there until his former crew mounts a rescue party. He is the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean Sea. Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann: Governor Swann's daughter and Will Turner's fiancée. Having tricked Jack Sparrow into being swallowed by the Kraken to save herself and the Black Pearl crew, she subsequently goes to his rescue. Swann becomes Captain of The Empress and Pirate Lord of the South China Sea as successor to Feng, and becomes the Pirate King by default as a result of the Bretheren Court vote. Orlando Bloom as Will Turner: A young blacksmith-turned-pirate, the son of "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, and later the husband of Elizabeth Swann. Turner becomes Captain of The Flying Dutchman after the ritual is performed to save his life. Stellan Skarsgård as Bootstrap Bill Turner: Will's father, cursed to serve an eternity aboard Davy Jones' ship The Flying Dutchman. As he slowly loses hope, he also loses his humanity to the ship, and becomes mentally confused, barely recognizing his own son in the second half of the film. Bill Nighy as Davy Jones: Malevolent ruler of the ocean realm, Captain of The Flying Dutchman. With his heart captured by James Norrington, he is now enslaved to Cutler Beckett who commanded him to kill the Kraken ("your pet"), and now serves the East India Trading Company, though he remains volatile and makes life difficult for the soldiers policing him. Chow Yun-fat as Sao Feng: Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, he captains the Chinese ship The Empress and has a poor history with Sparrow. He is reluctant to aid in his rescue from Davy Jones' Locker. "Sao Feng" (嘯風) means "Howling Wind" in Chinese. Chow was confirmed to be playing Feng in July 2005 while production of the second film was on hiatus. Chow relished playing the role, even helping out crew members with props. Geoffrey Rush as Hector Barbossa: Once first mate of the Black Pearl under Jack's command before leading a mutiny, Barbossa has been resurrected by Tia Dalma to captain the rescue of Jack Sparrow. He was also needed for his "piece of eight" to free Calypso. Rush said that in the film, Barbossa becomes more of a cunning politician. He is the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea. Jack Davenport as James Norrington: Promoted to the rank of admiral in return for giving Beckett Jones' heart, he has allied himself with Beckett and the Company, although he still cares for Elizabeth, his former fiancée, and finds himself torn between his duty and his growing dislike for Beckett. Kevin R. McNally as Joshamee Gibbs: Jack's loyal, if superstitious, first mate. Naomie Harris as Tia Dalma/Calypso: An obeah witch who travels with the Black Pearl crew to rescue Jack; she also raised Barbossa from the dead at the conclusion of Dead Man's Chest and has a mysterious past connection to Davy Jones. Tom Hollander as Cutler Beckett: A powerful chairman of the East India Trading Company and now armed with a mandate from the King and in possession of Davy Jones' heart, Beckett attempts to control the world's oceans for the sake of sustainable business—and to end piracy. Jonathan Pryce as Weatherby Swann: Governor of Port Royal and father to Elizabeth Swann, he is now trapped in Beckett's service. Lee Arenberg and Mackenzie Crook as Pintel and Ragetti: A mischievous and eccentric duo, part of Jack's crew. David Bailie as Cotton: Jack's loyal mute crewman who returns again to join the quest to bring back Sparrow. Martin Klebba as Marty: Jack's dwarf crewman who also joins the quest to bring back Sparrow. Keith Richards as Captain Teague: Pirate Lord of Madagascar, Keeper of the Pirata Codex for the Brethren Court and Jack Sparrow's father. The other pirate lords are visibly terrified of him. Richards, who partially inspired Depp's portrayal of Sparrow, was first rumored to have a role as Sparrow's father in 2004, and later reported in 2006. He was meant to appear in Dead Man's Chest, but there was no room for him in the story, as well as his being tied up with a Rolling Stones tour. He almost missed filming a scene in At World's End, following injuries sustained by falling out of a tree. In June 2006, Verbinski finally managed to make room in Richards' schedule to shoot that September. David Schofield as Ian Mercer: Lord Beckett's personal enforcer, assigned to hold Davy Jones' leash aboard the Dutchman. Greg Ellis as Theodore Groves: The second-in-command to Lord Beckett. Lauren Maher and Vanessa Branch as Scarlett and Giselle Angus Barnett and Giles New as Mullroy and Murtogg Reggie Lee as Tai Huang Ghassan Massoud as Captain Ammand, the Pirate Lord of the Black Sea Marcel Iureș as Capitaine Chevalle, the Pirate Lord of the Mediterranean Sea Sergio Calderón as Captain Eduardo Villanueva, Pirate Lord of the Adriatic Sea Takayo Fischer as Mistress Ching, the Pirate Lord of the Pacific Ocean Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Gentleman Jocard, the Pirate Lord of the Atlantic Ocean Marshall Manesh as Sri Sumbhajee, Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean Dominic Scott Kay as young Henry Turner, the son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Scott Kay was credited as young Will Turner, and was retroactively named young Henry Turner following the release of Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Production Development