Captain Jack Sparrow Walks the Plank
The Los Angeles Times recently wrote an editorial pondering the fate of four movie franchises looking to make a fourth film, and whether it is a necessary installment or another wheel turning the Hollywood machine. Of the four franchises, The Hobbit, Spider-Man, X-Men and Pirates of the Caribbean, the one I would choose as the least in need of a sequel is the Pirates series. The fourth film in the series, entitled “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” is due out in the summer of 2011.
Johnny Depp Unhappy
There’s a reason you should be worried if you’re a pirates fan, and it’s the fact that Johnny Depp, the actor who was nominated for a Best Actor award for his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, is currently unenthusiastic to say the least about the departure of Dick Cook, a Disney studio executive who was a driving force behind the franchise’s success. Depp only commented that he was “shocked and very sad” at Cook’s leaving. An unhappy actor leads to all kinds of set trouble, and the ultimate quality of the product has a higher chance of being compromised. We’ve all heard about what it’s like to be part of a chaotic production, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the “Stranger Tides” referred to in the movie could be realized rather quickly. Depp is not the type of actor to express dissatisfaction to earn a higher paycheck, so when he expresses his doubt, I’m buying it. You savvy?
Sparrow Obligated to Sail
As noted in many reports, Johnny Depp is contractually obligated to do a fourth Pirates film if it is indeed produced. Even as a critical failure, the Pirates name alone is surely strong enough to produce decent revenues for Disney. But do we really need a new film from a critical standpoint? The last movie in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, did a nice job of wrapping up the jumbled story arc involving William Turner and Elizabeth Swan, played by Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. A fourth film would have to abandon the mysticism of the sea in favor of a more grounded action-adventure story. If there’s one man who can right this ship however, it’s Johnny Depp.
Yarghh! So how about it matey? Would you be open to sailing the blue seas with Jack Sparrow in a fourth film?
[Source: LA Times]
