| Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Gore Verbinski |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by |
|
| Based on | Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean |
| Produced by | Jerry Bruckheimer |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Dariusz Wolski |
| Edited by | |
| Music by | Klaus Badelt |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 143 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $140 million[2] |
| Box office | $654.3 million[2] |
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (originally titled Pirates of the Caribbean) is a 2003 American fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski.[3][4] Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film is based on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disney theme parks and is the first film in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.[5] The film stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley. The plot follows the pirate Jack Sparrow (Depp) and the blacksmith Will Turner (Bloom), as they attempt to rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth Swann (Knightley). The trio encounters Captain Hector Barbossa (Rush) and the crew of the Black Pearl, who are afflicted by a supernatural curse.
Executives at Walt Disney Studios drafted a rough treatment for the film in 2000. A script was developed by Jay Wolpert in 2001, and was rewritten by Stuart Beattie in early 2002. Around that time, the producer Jerry Bruckheimer became involved in the project. He brought in screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, who had drafted a premise for the film in the 1990s. Elliott and Rossio added the curse to the script to align the film's story with the theme park ride.[6] Gore Verbinski eventually signed on as the director. Filming took place from October 2002 to March 2003 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and on sets in Los Angeles, California.
Pirates of the Caribbean had its world premiere at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on June 28, 2003. It was theatrically released in the United States on July 9. Despite low expectations, the film was a massive box-office success: it grossed $654.3 million worldwide, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2003. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise going to the performance of Depp, who won a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was also nominated for awards at the Academy Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Golden Globes. Pirates of the Caribbean was also nominated for additional Academy Awards and BAFTAs. The film was followed by four sequels: Dead Man's Chest (2006), At World's End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011), and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).
- ^ "Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl". British Board of Film Classification. July 10, 2003. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
- ^ a b "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
- ^ James B. Stewart (2005). DisneyWar. New York City: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-80993-1.
- ^ Jim Hill (May 17, 2007). "Why For: did Michael Eisner try and shut down production of "The Curse of the Black Pearl" back in 2002?". Jim Hill Media. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- ^ "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)". The New York Times. July 16, 2011. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
- ^ Surrell, Jason (2005). Pirates of the Caribbean: From The Magic Kingdom. Turtleback Books. ISBN 978-1-417-692-74-3.