Development started shortly beforePirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was released in early 2011, with Terry Rossio writing the initial script, and Depp being involved in the writing process. In early 2013, Jeff Nathanson was hired to write a new script, with Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg becoming involved in the project shortly afterward. The filmmakers cited the series' first installment,The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), as inspiration for the script and tone of the film. Initially planned for a 2015 release, the film was delayed to 2016 and then to 2017, due to script and budget issues.Principal photography started in Australia in February 2015, after the Australian government offered Disney $20 million intax incentives, and ended that July.
Dead Men Tell No Tales premiered in Shanghai on May 11, 2017, and was released in the United States on May 26. The film received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed $795.9 million worldwide against a $230–320 million production budget.
Over twelve years afterWill Turner first leavesElizabeth Swann aboard theFlying Dutchman,[a] he is visited by their twelve-year-old son,Henry. Will is still bound to theDutchman and can step on land once a decade, but Henry says that he can be freed from his curse by the Trident of Poseidon. Although his father tells him to accept his fate, Henry intends to recruit pirate Captain Jack Sparrow to help find the Trident.
Nine years later, Henry is aboard aBritish Navy ship, which sails into the supernaturalDevil's Triangle and comes across theghost shipSilent Mary. Thesailors in Henry's ship are slaughtered byghosts led by aSpanish pirate-hunter, CaptainArmando Salazar, who leaves Henry as the sole survivor so that he can deliver a message of revenge to Jack Sparrow. Jack, as a young pirate,[b] had tricked Salazar into entering the Triangle, causing his death but also inadvertently cursing his ship and crew as theundead.
OnSaint Martin, a young astronomer namedCarina Smyth is sentenced to death forwitchcraft but escapes and crosses paths with Jack, suffering from a spell of bad luck as his pirate crew botches a bank robbery. Jack later trades his compass for a drink, an act that destroys the Devil's Triangle and frees Salazar's ghostly crew to seek revenge. Carina learns Henry is looking for the Trident's location and offers to help him using her unknown father's diary. Upon their arrests, Carina and Jack stall the execution process, but they escape with the help of Henry and Jack's crew. They all set sail on theDying Gull, where Carina deciphers the clues in her diary, discovering that the stars will lead to an island where the Trident is hidden.
Meanwhile, CaptainHector Barbossa is informed that Salazar has attacked three pirate ships of Barbossa's fleet. Shansa, a sea witch, tells Barbossa that the Trident could lead him to a "treasure" and gives him Jack's compass. Barbossa makes a deal with Salazar by offering to help find Jack. Salazar pursues theDying Gull, forcing Jack, Henry, and Carina to flee to an island, discovering that Salazar's crew cannot go on land. Barbossa allies himself with Jack, returning his compass, restoring the miniaturizedBlack Pearl[c] to its original size, and taking command of thePearl once more as they continue their journey to the Trident's island. During the voyage, Jack and Barbossa realize Carina is the latter's long-lost daughter.
ThePearl approaches the Trident's island and evades a British Navy warship until it is destroyed by theSilent Mary before thePearl runs aground on the island. Jack, Barbossa, and Carina use the island's magic to part the ocean which opens a path to the Trident on the ocean floor. Salazar captures Henry and possesses him to walk on the ocean floor and seize the Trident. Once he does so, Henry is given his body back, and Jack distracts Salazar, allowing Henry to destroy the Trident, breaking all curses upon the sea and restoring Salazar's crew to life. However, the Trident's destruction causes the divided sea to close in on them. ThePearl lowers its anchor to lift the group to safety, but Salazar pursues them.
Carina realizes that Barbossa is her father when she spots a tattoo on Barbossa's arm, the Trident's star formation, identical to the diary's cover. Barbossa sacrifices himself to kill Salazar, allowing the others to escape. Shortly afterwards, Carina names herself "Barbossa" before Henry and Carina go to Port Royal, Jamaica. Henry and Carina kiss before Henry reunites with Will, now free from theDutchman, on land. Will then hugs and kisses Elizabeth Swann immediately afterwards. After watching the reunion from aboard theBlack Pearl, Sparrow adopts Barbossa's monkey "Jack" before sailing away into the horizon.
In apost-credits scene, Will and Elizabeth are asleep in a bedroom when the shadow ofDavy Jones enters. When the figure moves closer with his claw, Will wakes up to see nobody in the room. Assuming it was a nightmare, Will turns toward his wife and goes back to sleep, unaware of thebarnacles lying on the floor next to the bed.[d]
Johnny Depp as CaptainJack Sparrow: A down-on-his-luck pirate and captain of theBlack Pearl, which is nowtrapped in a bottle, who travels with Henry and Carina in search of the Trident of Poseidon to defeat an old nemesis, Captain Salazar.[11][12] Rønning wanted to focus on relatable characters, as in the first film, "where Jack is not the [lead ... but] comes in and crashes the party every now and then,"[13] and to make use of Depp's "comedic genius".[14] The film examines Jack's backstory, with the young Jack portrayed byAnthony De La Torre,[15] whose face was replaced by aCGI replica of Depp as he looked in21 Jump Street andWhat's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993).[16] Rønning feltde-aging Depp was tricky against the canon of the franchise.[17]
Javier Bardem as CaptainArmando Salazar: Once the greatest pirate hunter who ever roamed the seas as Captain of theSilent Mary for the Spanish Navy,[12] an old nemesis of Jack Sparrow, now a cursed ghost commanding a crew of undead soldiers who escape from the Devil's Triangle, seeking revenge on Jack Sparrow and determined to kill every pirate at sea.[1] "He's a little supernatural. He's on a real mission of vengeance for something Jack did to him when he was 18. He's a pretty nasty character."[7] Bardem set out to imbue the character with "a rage based on dented pride," owing to his spectacular fall, from a high-ranking commander of a Spanish fleet to being betrayed and trapped in hell by Jack.[18] With Salazar's body language, he tried to convey abull in an arena, "full of rage and need of vengeance, but also wounded."[19] It took three hours a day to apply the make-up, which Bardem referred to as having "cold chicken breasts" glued to his face.[20]
Geoffrey Rush as CaptainHector Barbossa: Sparrow's rival, the former Captain of theBlack Pearl, and the Captain of theQueen Anne's Revenge.[1][12] On the character's role of having settled into a growing and prosperous pirate empire, Rush said, "Barbossa has become extremely wealthy. He's got more money than he can deal with and he's not a guy of high taste. He's running a very big empire, maybe 10 or 12 ships, so he's the kingpin."[21][22]
Brenton Thwaites asHenry Turner: The son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann who vows to break his father's curse by searching for the Trident.[1][12][23] The directors were keen to draft a new protagonist relationship with Henry and Carina, stating that "in the middle of a big action scene, you need to be able to lean on the characters and find the heart of that story, and channel the characters' vulnerability." Rønning noted that identity is a major theme in the film, and to Henry and Carina's story arc: "they are on a similar quest and find common ground in looking for who they are."[14] Bruckheimer also said the film recaptured the spirit of the first film after they previewed the picture, as well as how Will's son [Thwaites] and the "search for his father" was the backbone of the story.[7] Lewis McGowan portrays a young Henry.[24]
Kaya Scodelario asCarina Smyth: A headstrong, altruistic astronomer who was wrongly accused of being a witch.[1][12] Scodelario explained the character's motivation and role, saying, "she is an academic, she's fighting for the right to study at university because women couldn't at that time."[25] For the directors, it was important to "modernise it with Henry and Carina, Kaya, especially brought that with her. She's a modern woman."[13] Scodelario worked with scriptwriter Jeff Nathanson to ensure the character was unique to the series[18] and not a copy of Elizabeth Swann.[26] She said that female characters often "fall into two camps; they are either pretty and perfectly put together or completely insane. Carina has definitely got a little bit of both."[18]
Orlando Bloom reprises his role asWill Turner, a blacksmith-turned-pirate who became the Captain of theFlying Dutchman at the end ofAt World's End (2007).[31][32][12] Bloom wore barnacle prosthetics for the role, reflecting Turner's status as apsychopomp and the cursed Captain of theDutchman.[33]Keira Knightley briefly appears at the end in a non-speaking role asElizabeth Swann, Will's wife and Henry's mother,[12][34] following the "demand" that the character be added after test screenings.[35] ACGI silhouette ofDavy Jones is seen in the post-credits scene, but actorBill Nighy stated that he had not been informed about the character's appearance.[36]
Shortly before the release ofOn Stranger Tides, the cast and crew of the fourth film were told to set aside time in the near future, becauseWalt Disney Pictures intended to shoot a fifth and sixth film back-to-back.[37] However, it was later stated that only a fifth film was in the works, withTerry Rossio writing a script for a fifth film without his partnerTed Elliott.[38]Rob Marshall was rumoured to return to direct,[39] but declined after choosing to directInto the Woods (2014).[40] After Marshall passed on the film, many directors were rumored to take over.[41]Gore Verbinski, who was responsible for the original three films, felt that "there's no reason other than financial" in making the film.[42] The eventual shortlist included Fredrik Bond,Rupert Sanders, and the eventual choice, Norwegian film duoJoachim Rønning andEspen Sandberg.[43] The studio chose them based on theirAcademy Award-nominated high-sea filmKon-Tiki, and their ability to work with a limited budget.[44]
Rossio's script was discarded in 2012, and the writer stated that a major reason was its use of a female villain, which made actor Johnny Depp "worried that it would be redundant toDark Shadows, which also featured a female villain."[45] In January 2013, Disney hiredJeff Nathanson to work on a script.[46] Nathanson's script featured theTrident of Poseidon,[1] loosely based on the Trident ofNeptune from Rossio's unproduced screenplay.[8] Rønning and Sandberg said they were particularly moved by Nathanson's "funny and touching" script,[47] which convinced them to sign to direct in May,[48] Rønning believing that the script was "all there" but needed scenes to "carry the tradition of Gore Verbinski, bring the emotional core and big action set pieces."[14] In August, Rønning and Sandberg revealed that the title would beDead Men Tell No Tales,[49] and that it would be both a stand-alone adventure and tie into the overall mythology of the series.[50] In the following month, producerJerry Bruckheimer said, "We have an outline everyone loves but the script is not done," explaining that the release would be postponed beyond summer 2015.[44] The studio questioned Depp's bankability following the financial losses ofThe Lone Ranger (2013),[51] and the screenplay's first drafts were not approved byWalt Disney Studios chairmanAlan Horn, who was concerned about the finished product.[52] Bruckheimer revealed that script and budget issues were behind the delay, and that Nathanson was at work on a second draft, based on a well-received outline, saying they needed a script and budget everyone would approve.[44] Depp was also invited to collaborate on the script, with the actor believing it would be the last of the franchise and wanting to end it right.[53] After the script was accepted, the film was officially green-lit by Disney in July 2014, with a planned release on July 7, 2017.[54]
The directors were inspired by the first film,The Curse of the Black Pearl,[47] stating that the original is thrilling but above all a comedy with heart, and wanted to reinvent the "structure and the dynamics between the characters." In addition to recapturing the best of previous franchise installments, the directors had the works ofCharlie Chaplin andBuster Keaton in mind when crafting the tone of the film.[14] The pair wanted the film to be the "most emotional" of the series, and to explore the roots of Jack Sparrow.[55] They decided to use Jack's compass as the "key to unlock Salazar from his hellish prison in the Triangle," and toned down some of the fantastic elements "to ground it, even inPirates Of The Caribbean [sic]."[56]Geoffrey Rush argued that the pair brought "Euro sensibility to traditional Hollywood franchise thinking,"[57] whileOrlando Bloom believed that they had "recaptured the simplicity and charm" of the original film.[58] Bruckheimer also said the film recaptured the spirit of the first film after they previewed the picture, as well as how Will Turner's son and the "search for his father" was the backbone of the story.[7]Kaya Scodelario said that the producers wanted to take the franchise back to its origins, with a story that gave characters a conclusion while opening new possibilities.[59] Along with the directors and writers, many of the crew members were new to the franchise, replacing those who had served on the previous four films, with the exception of Bruckheimer, costume designerPenny Rose, and executive producerChad Oman.[1][60]
Speaking at theOn Stranger Tides press launch in Cannes, Depp said he would play the role so long as it is popular with the public.[61] By August 2012, news surfaced that Depp had signed for the fifth film, earningA$90 million to reprise his role.[11] One month later,Penélope Cruz stated that in spite of her enjoying playingAngelica inOn Stranger Tides, she had not been contacted regarding a fifth film.[62] Geoffrey Rush had commented on returning asHector Barbossa in the fifth installment, saying "If they keep shapeshifting this character, absolutely," and implied that he might return as the villain.[63] Other co-stars from the previous film includeSam Claflin asPhilip Swift,[64]Astrid Berges-Frisbey asSyrena[65] andGreg Ellis asTheodore Groves, even though Groves appeared to have died inOn Stranger Tides.[66] In October 2012,Keith Richards expressed interest in reprising his role asCaptain Teague,[67] but was unavailable by the time the film went into production.[30]
Javier Bardem was cast to play the role of Captain Salazar. His wife,Penélope Cruz, had starred in the previous instalment of the franchise as Angelica.
On December 2, 2013, it was reported thatChristoph Waltz was in talks to appear as the film's main antagonist,[68] but he later declined. The villain was eventually portrayed by Cruz's husband,Javier Bardem.[69] In 2014, Bardem signed on to portray the ghostly Armando Salazar of the Spanish Navy, who in Nathanson's early scripts was referred to as the ghostly Captain John Brand of the British Navy.[1] Bardem had liked the working environment of the fourth movie, which he witnessed accompanying his wife, and stated he was also a fan of the franchise and of Depp's performance as Jack Sparrow.[70] Australian actorBrenton Thwaites entered talks for the role of Henry in late November 2014,[71] after Disney chose him overTaron Egerton,George MacKay,Mitchell Hope,Ansel Elgort, andSam Keeley.[72]
Kaya Scodelario was chosen as the female lead out of a shortlist that includedGabriella Wilde,Alexandra Dowling,Jenna Thiam, andLucy Boynton.[73] Her character, Carina, is an astronomer accused of being a witch. Scodelario confirmed that she was playing "a totally different character" fromKeira Knightley'sElizabeth Swann, and also that she will be Henry's love interest,[26][74] given in earlier drafts she was envisioned as a love interest of Sparrow.[75]Kevin McNally confirmed his return asJoshamee Gibbs in late January.[28]Adam Brown, Delroy Atkinson, andDanny Kirrane were revealed as cast members shortly before filming.[29] As filming begun, two actors from the previous films were confirmed to return,Martin Klebba asMarty[76] andStephen Graham as Scrum.[1] Keith Richards expressed interest in reprising his role as Captain Teague,[67] but was unavailable, leading Depp to invitePaul McCartney into appearing as Jack Sparrow's uncle (also named Jack).[30]
Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley stated in 2007 they didn't want to return as Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, noting the closure of their characters inAt World's End, and have been repeatedly quoted in saying they wanted to move on from thePirates franchise by 2010.[77][78] While Knightley affirmed this over the years,[79][80] Bloom made statements about returning as early as October 2011.[81] In 2012, Moviehole.Net reported that a "separate Disney contact" gave this one-line response: "Will Turner's story might not be finished..."[82] By 2014, Bloom commented that while he was not sure whether he would return as Will Turner, there were talks and indicated that Disney could make asoft reboot with the franchise and focus on Will and his son.[33] Both Will Turner's return and Bloom's participation was kept secret until theDisney D23 in 2015, after filming had wrapped.[83] Despite having previously stated that she wouldn't return,[84] there were reports suggesting that Keira Knightley would reprise her role as Elizabeth Swann due to the return of Will and the focus on their grown-up son Henry in the film.[85][86][87] Once the film was shown to test audiences, the filmmakers felt they were "demanded" to reunite both Will and Elizabeth's character.[35] To ensure that Knightley could reprise this role, the production moved for a one-day shoot in London, where she was working.[56]
Other actors had expressed interest in reprising their roles from the previous films, such as Tia Dalma portrayerNaomie Harris.[88] BothLee Arenberg andMackenzie Crook commented on the possibility of returning asPintel and Ragetti.[89] In an interview on November 7, 2014, Crook confirmed that he had received a call of availability from Disney for the film,[90] though he later declined in order to focus on his television seriesDetectorists.[91] He said he had felt "pangs of nostalgia" when the cast and crew filmed without him.[92] Arenberg, who also had a television commitment, toOnce Upon a Time, added that he felt like the producers "weren't really trying to court us like they really wanted us."[93]
Directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg originally stated that shooting would take place in Puerto Rico and New Orleans,[94] and Bruckheimer had previously mentioned that there might be a sequence in Louisiana.[95] However, a spokesman for Australian Arts MinisterGeorge Brandis confirmed that the fifth installment was set to shoot exclusively in Australia after the government agreed to repurpose $20 million oftax incentives, originally intended for the remake of20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; thus edging out Mexico and South Africa as filming locations.[96] Filming took place exclusively inQueensland, Australia, as the largest production to ever shoot in the country.Village Roadshow Studios and the Whitsunday Islands were officially confirmed as filming locations.[97] On January 1, 2015,The Rainbow Gypsy, a 35-year-old replica of an 1897 Scottishtrawler, underwent an extensive refit at theGold Coast, including a new bowsprit, and reconfigured decks and cabins, for filming as theDying Gull. Its captain and owner, Kit Woodward, was a rigger in the film.[98]
Filming commenced on February 17, 2015.[1] Ship scenes were filmed in front of a giant outdoor greenscreen in Helensvale,[99] while a film set in the form of a village was built in Maudsland.[100] Because the greenscreens' height blocked the sunlight, containers with inflatable bluescreens mounted on top were added to the set to allow some light to enter.[101] While the first script that Paul Cameron read for the film involved "five to six main ships" until a rewrite more than doubled the fleet, and Bruckheimer promised 13 ships facing off in "the biggest battles yet,"[7] the end product had eleven vessels; to cut costs, most of these were partial constructs later enhanced by computer graphics, with some built atop a hydraulic rig to mimic the movement of seafaring while on land. The camera crew, led by the director of photographyPaul Cameron, also made extensive use of drones, to capture immersive views at sea without resorting to helicopters or cranes.[16][102]
Filming moved to Doug Jennings Park onthe Spit from March 30 to June 15 for water-bound scenes.[103] However, due to extremesea sickness among the cast and crew from the "big swells," filming moved toRaby Bay for calmer waters.[104] Scenes were shot at Byron Bay on June 1. Locals made up more than 75 percent of the 850-plus crew then working on the film.[105] After much speculation about whether Orlando Bloom would return, Bloom arrived at theGold Coast in late May to reprise his role as Will Turner.[31][32] Scenes featuring a skeleton of asperm whale that had been constructed were shot at Hastings Point from June 21 to 23.[106]
Several problems occurred during production in regards to the usage ofcapuchin monkeys for the film, including violatingAustralian biosecurity laws, the safety of the monkeys and of the crew.
A number of issues and controversies set back the film during its production. Thebiosecurity laws in Australia posed problems regarding thecapuchin monkeys that portray Hector Barbossa's pet monkeyJack, because the animals are regarded as a category 1 pest and call for strict requirements and a 30-day quarantine.[107] Further controversy erupted from animal rights activist groups, who urged Federal Environment MinisterGreg Hunt to reject the entry application, arguing that the long air-flight would affect their health, and that their performance was unnatural and would create demand for illegal wildlife trade.[108] The three activist groups wereHumane Society International Australia,WildFutures, and theCaptive Animals Protection Society (Freedom for Animals/FFA).[109] One of the monkeys caused further disruption when it wandered off set atMovie World, and bit the ear of a make-up artist on another production set forMako Mermaids.[110]
Crew and cast members were forced to cover the camera lenses on all mobile phones with duct tape to prevent leaks before its release. To prevent fans from interfering with the production, secret filming locations used the production name of "Herschel" to hide the fact it was the fifthPirates of the Caribbean film.[111] Following the attempt of an armed man trying to bypass security, the already tight security was increased.[112]
On March 10, 2015, Depp was injured off set and had to be flown to the United States for surgery.[113] Due to his absence, filming stalled completely and 200 crew members were forced to stand down for two weeks, after finishing all they could do without Depp.[114] Depp returned to set on April 21.[115] In June, Kaya Scodelario was injured on set along with a stuntman.[116] In early July, dismantling of the sets at the Spit had begun.[117] Most of the cast and crew had finished on July 8, and a wrap party was held on July 11.[118] Filming then moved to the Whitsundays for the final shots.[117][119] On July 21, 2015, Rønning announced that filming had wrapped after a 95-day shoot.[120] After nearly a year in post-production, reshoots and additional photography were conducted in Vancouver, Canada from March 24 to April 13, 2016, under the production title "Herschel Additional Photography".[121]
Atomic Fiction handled the scenes at St. Martin, turning the few blocks of buildings built on set into more than 600 CG buildings, surrounded by a jungle environment. The work combined references from both the Caribbean and Thailand, and enhanced through CGI both the guillotine on which Jack Sparrow is nearly executed and the bank from the heist scene; the bank was meant to look as if its foundations were dug through the ground instead of sliding on the surface.[124] Along with sea footage filmed in both the Australian sets and Key West, Florida, there was extensive usage of water simulations, with the artists using theBeaufort scale to ensure the waves and wind realistically matched.[101]
This was the first film in the series (since the first) thatHans Zimmer did not compose the music for. Instead, the main composer is one of his protégés,Geoff Zanelli, who had worked on the previous four installments in the franchise.[125] Zanelli said that Zimmer "redefined the sound of the entire genre" and considered it a great accomplishment to have worked with him and Bruckheimer. He used this experience with the franchise to build a new sound for the film.[125] He stated that "you don't have to modernize the melodies, those are timeless," citing one example of how he tried to make the sound more modern by featuring anelectric cello to create a menacingleitmotif for Captain Armando Salazar.[126] This was also the firstPirates of the Caribbean score to feature mostly live percussion, as opposed to the programmed percussion in the prior scores. As it took more than a year for the film to start production following Zanelli being hired, he accompanied the script's evolution, and was familiar with the character arcs that he would need to translate in their theme songs. Zanelli always started writing the music on the piano, namely a synthesized orchestra.[127] The film's soundtrack was released on May 26, 2017.[128]
A robust marketing effort helped promoteDead Men Tell No Tales.[129] The film was first showcased at theDisney D23 Expo 2015, where Depp appeared in costume as Jack Sparrow and the film's logo was revealed, with Orlando Bloom confirmed to be starring in the film.[130][131] A 240 page tie-in prequel novel expanding the backstory of the character Carina Smyth was also released, titledPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – The Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina Smyth.[132] The film was showcased at the 2016 Walt Disney Content Showcase in South Africa, where concept art, story details and on-set images were previewed.[133] On April 26, 2017, Depp made a cameo appearance at Disneyland'sPirates of the Caribbean ride in an event to promote the film, surprising unsuspecting guests by portraying Jack Sparrow in place of one of theanimatronics.[134]
Dead Men Tell No Tales screened on March 28, 2017 at the 2017CinemaCon event in Las Vegas.[135] It had its world premiere at theShanghai Disney Resort in Shanghai on May 11, 2017,[136] and was released in the United States on May 26.[137] In some countries, including the United Kingdom, the film was released asPirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge,[138] a decision that the directors were not informed about.[56] It is the first Hollywood feature to be released in the United States for the new panorama-like ScreenX format, which played in two locations in the United States, the CGVBuena Park and theCGV Cinemas in Los Angeles. Additionally, it played in 81 screens at select theaters in Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, and Indonesia. The film also played in4D on 373 4DX screens worldwide.[139] The film was released in IMAX in an expanded 1.9:1 aspect ratio.[140]
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales was released ondigital download byWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on September 19, 2017, and onBlu-ray,Ultra HD Blu-ray, andDVD on October 3.[141] It was the top home-media release in its first week, with the Blu-ray version accounting for 78% of sales, and brought the previous four films back into the 25 best-sold Blu-rays.[142]
Following the film's theatrical release in 2017, Terry Rossio released his unproduced screenplay on his websiteWordplay. Also titledDead Men Tell No Tales, this was a proposed story written with the studio and producer guideline thatKeira Knightley andOrlando Bloom would not return to the series, and so those characters would not be available. Rossio's draft also included additional information in extensive footnotes. Among other characters,Pintel and Ragetti return from the trilogy,Philip Swift andSyrena fromOn Stranger Tides, withDead Men Tell No Tales also introducing a female villain, asea witch named the Sea Widow. The story featured the Trident ofNeptune, which contains the three Pearls of Neptune that each have a different power: Rhysis, which commands the winds; Tyrah, pearl of the tides; and Miro, which commands the creatures of the sea. It would also be revealed that Rhysis was hidden twice over inside a sapphire in the hilt of the Sword ofTriton, only identified asBlackbeard's or Barbossa's sword in Rossio's script, with the power being revealed to control the wind, as well as a ship's rigging, and would not be used to release theBlack Pearl from the bottle.[8]
Rossio's script was discarded in 2012, and the writer stated that a major reason was its use of a female villain, the Sea Widow, which made Johnny Depp "worried that would be redundant toDark Shadows, which also featured a female villain."[45] As a result, in January 2013, Disney hiredJeff Nathanson to work on a script in the development of the film, which featured the Trident of Poseidon, an artifact that holds all the power of the sea,[1] mainly used in the final version of the story to break every curse and by Will Turner's son Henry to free his father from theFlying Dutchman.[12]
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales grossed $172.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $623.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $795.9 million,[6] against an estimated production budget of $230–320 million.[3] It had a worldwide opening of $271.4 million from 55 markets, with $24 million coming from 1,088 IMAX screens.[143] The film's six-day opening gross pushed the franchise gross past the $4 billion mark.[144] Despite being the lowest-grossing film of the series in North America by nearly $70 million and despite scoring the second-lowest nominal gross of the franchise outside North America (only ahead ofCurse of the Black Pearl),Dead Men Tell No Tales became the highest-grossing entry of thePirates franchise outside North America when accounting for foreign-exchange rates, surpassingOn Stranger Tides, which grossed $593.4 million at July 2017 rates.[145] The largest-earning foreign markets were China ($172.3 million), Japan ($59.5 million), and Russia and the CIS ($40.7 million), where it was the second-highest-grossing film behindAvatar (2009).[146]Deadline Hollywood noted the film would turn a net profit of around $280 million after factoring together all expenses and revenues based on a projected $850 million final gross (though it would ultimately fall short of that figure, likely resulting in a smaller profit).[147]
Dead Men Tell No Tales debuted over the four-dayMemorial Day opening weekend, being released in 4,276 theaters, of which over 3,100 were 3D, taking advantage of formats such asIMAX,D-Box, and4DX.[148] The film earned $23.4 million on its first day, including $5.5 million from previews. It was the lowest opening day of the franchise.[149]Dead Men Tell No Tales grossed $63 million over three days, and $78.5 million over four (Friday–Monday), finishing first at the box office, ahead ofGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and fellow newcomerBaywatch (2017).[150][151] It was the second-smallest opening weekend of the franchise, only earning more than the first film, with each of the other installments earning at least $90 million.[152] Despite the film registering the highest test score in the series,[153] the opening came in well below expectations of $80–115 million.[154][155] Analysts attributed the underperformance to negative reviews, franchise fatigue, andJohnny Depp's diminishing returns and depreciating public image, amid his personal problems. Still, it performed better than Disney's previous Memorial Day releases (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010),Tomorrowland (2015), andAlice Through the Looking Glass (2016)),[156][157][158] and studio executives said they were pleased with the movie's opening,[144] which helped Disney push past $1 billion in the US.[159]
The film fell by a total of 65% in its second weekend, the worst of the series, grossing $22.1 million,[160] and finishing in third place, after newcomersWonder Woman (2017) ($103.3 million) andCaptain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) ($23.9 million).[161] It remained in the top ten for four more weeks.[162][163]
Marketed asSalazar's Revenge in most countries, the film was released day-and-date with its debut in 54 markets (91% of its total marketplace, except Japan, where it debuted on July 1).[164] Preliminary reports had the film opening to $150–175 million, but possibly overperforming depending on major markets, most notably China.[148][165] While its Chinese run benefited from the May 28–30Dragon Boat Festival—a lucrative moviegoing period—and fromInternational Children's Day (June 1),[166][167] theManchester Arena bombing had a deteriorating effect on certain European markets over the film's opening weekend.[168] From Wednesday to Friday, it registered an opening of $208.8 million. Around $14 million of that came from IMAX screenings, the second-biggest international IMAX opening in May, afterCaptain America: Civil War (2016).[143] Similar to its US plunge, it earned $73.8 million in its second weekend, falling to second place, behindWonder Woman.[169]
It recorded the biggest opening day of the year in several markets, including Germany ($3.6 million), Austria, France ($2.3 million), Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Thailand ($400,000), Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Netherlands ($900,000).[168][170] Russia posted the biggest opening of all time with $18.4 million ($18.6 million including previews).[143][159][171] In China, where the film had its global premiere, it earned $21.3 million on its opening day, the fourth-biggest Disney opening in the country. It had an 87% marketshare and had already surpassed the entire earnings ofPirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.[172] Earning a total of $67.9 million, it registered the third-highest three-day for any Disney title, and a much-higher opening than the US.[143] The film did extremely well in IMAX, earning $9 million from 401 screens from Friday to early Monday bookings. The robust opening has been attributed to the Dragon Boat Festival, Depp's star power, the ubiquity of the franchise, the impact ofShanghai Disneyland Park, and goodword of mouth, with a score of 7.5/10 on reviews aggregatorDouban and 8.7/10 on top mobile-ticketing platform Weying.[173][174] The film's final release market was Japan (July 1), where it opened at number one, achieving the highest-grossing opening for a Western film of the year, earning $9.25 million over the July 1–2 weekend.[175] It retained the box office lead for one more week, and was the highest-grossing foreign film in the following weekend.[176]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 30% of 291 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales proves that neither a change in directors nor an undead Javier Bardem is enough to drain this sinking franchise's murky bilge."[177]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 39 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[178] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale,[152] andPostTrak reported 81% of those gave the film a positive score.[179]
Mike Ryan ofUproxx criticized what he termed as a convoluted plot and overabundance of characters, resulting in a film that was "practically incoherent."[180] Writing forRolling Stone,Peter Travers called the film "bloated, boring, repetitive, and draining" and gave it one star out of four.[181]Ignatiy Vishnevetsky ofThe A.V. Club wrote that the film echoes the first three of the franchise, "in which Johnny Depp's louche and campy Jack Sparrow played second banana to an insipid love story... the two romantic leads ... succeed only in making the shortest movie in the series seem just as long as the rest."[182]A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times said of the film, "Its pleasures are so meager, its delight in its own inventions so forced and false, that it becomes almost the perfect opposite of entertainment."[183] Michael O'Sullivan ofThe Washington Post remarked that the film was "loud, overstimulating and hard to take in all in one sitting."[184]Mick LaSalle ofSan Francisco Chronicle found the film to be "a jumble of half-baked impulses" that had been forced into a played-out franchise.[185]
Richard Roeper ofChicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars out of four, saying: "Dead Men works well enough as a stand-alone, swashbuckling comedic spectacle, thanks to the terrific performances, some ingenious practical effects, impressive CGI and a steady diet of PG-13 dialogue peppered with not particularly sophisticated but (I have to admit) fairly funny sexual innuendo."[186] Pete Hammond ofDeadline Hollywood praised the film, calling it "the most entertaining installment," and giving credit to Rønning and Sandberg for creating a "rollicking good time". He praised the visual effects, particularly Salazar and his crew, arguing that the film should be in line to receive anAcademy Award for Visual Effects. He also gave high praise to Bardem for being able to create such a "fully dimensional villain" under the layers of make-up and CGI, and Depp for keeping the film and franchise going.[187] Leah Greenblatt ofEntertainment Weekly gave the film a 'B', praising the fun nature of the film and its visuals and calling it "gorgeously detailed swashbuckling nonsense," but wished that the script had taken more risks instead of following the formula used in previous films.[188] Ashley Esqueda ofCNET gave the film a positive review, arguing that it brought the franchise back to what made its first two installments so fun, and praised Depp's performance as being "delightful as ever."[189] Brian Truitt ofUSA Today gave the film three stars out of four, saying "What was once a past-its-prime franchise seems to have found new life."[190]
On March 4, 2017, directorsJoachim Rønning andEspen Sandberg stated thatDead Men Tell No Tales was "only the beginning of the final adventure", indicating that it would not be the last film of the franchise and that a sixth film could be released.[194] While the post-credits scene teased a potential plot involvingDavy Jones, who appears in some form while Will and Elizabeth sleep,[9] the directors also hinted that it could be the "beginning of the end" or "just a dream or nightmare".[10] In September 2017, producer Jerry Bruckheimer indicated that anotherPirates sequel would be possible ifDead Men Tell No Tales did well in its home release.[195] In October 2017, the sixth film was confirmed andKaya Scodelario said that she was contracted to return.[196] Shortly after, it was announced that Rønning was being eyed to return to direct the sequel.[197] By August 2018, the sixth film was still in development.[198] The following month,Keira Knightley said that she did not see herself returning for another installment due to the fact that she is a mother now and that the films take too long to shoot.[199]
In October 2018, it was reported that Disney had been looking for ways to reboot the franchise, bringing onDeadpool (2016) writersRhett Reese andPaul Wernick though producer Jerry Bruckheimer was expected to return.[200] However, in February 2019, Reese and Wernick departed the project and the reboot was cancelled.[201] In October 2019, Disney announced thatCraig Mazin andTed Elliott would write the script for the sixth film.[202][203] In May 2020, Bruckheimer commented that the first draft of the screenplay for the sixth film would soon be finished, although he was not sure if Depp should reprise his role in the film.[204] However, in April 2022, in the midst ofthe trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, Depp revealed that he had no intention of returning to the franchise, citing his strained relationship with Disney after they had removed him from the franchise before a verdict was reached in the case.[205]
In February 2023,Orlando Bloom expressed interest in returning to the franchise as Will Turner in the sixth film.[206][207][208] The next month, Knightley explained toEntertainment Tonight why she wouldn't make a return to the franchise. "What about Elizabeth Swann?" Knightley joked when asked if she would rejoin the crew. "I mean, she sailed away so nicely. She sailed away in brilliant style, but if she could be able to then yea she might return for the final adventure. "[209] Bruckheimer has meanwhile reiterated he would like to have Depp involved in the sequel.[210][211] In July 2023, it was reported that Depp had softened his stance and was willing to return to the franchise, "If it's the right project".[212] The next month, Mazin stated that he'd pitched aPirates script to Disney, but that he would only commit to it if he was able to work with Elliot; Mazin confirmed that his and Elliot's script was bought by Disney, also commenting that it was "too weird", but the2023 Writers Guild of America strike had slowed production of the sixth installment.[213]
In March 2024, Jerry Bruckheimer stated that the sixth film would be areboot.[214] Despite this, two months later, Bruckheimer hoped to see Johnny Depp return.[215]
On May 20, 2024, Bruckheimer provided further clarification on the series's status. In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, he confirmed that there were two differentPirates movies in production. The first is a reboot that he intends to produce with scriptwriter Jeff Nathanson, and the second is theMargot Robbie film that will be penned by Christina Hodson. He stated that he hoped both films would be made, and noted that Disney was particularly receptive to the Robbie-led film. In regards to the reboot, he confirmed that it would not follow characters from the previous films, but stated that he hoped Depp would make an appearance.[216]
^The ship was shrunk byBlackbeard "five winters" earlier, according to Barbossa, and before the events ofPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). In addition, according to the footnotes ofTerry Rossio's unproduced screenplay,[8] Barbossa does not know about theBlack Pearl in a bottle in the fourth film, though Barbossa later shows knowledge in the fifth film through unconfirmed means.
^While the post-credits scene teased a potential plot involvingDavy Jones, who appears in some form while Will and Elizabeth sleep,[9] directorsJoachim Ronning andEspen Sandberg also hinted that it could be the "beginning of the end" or "just a dream or nightmare".[10]
^The Matador & The Bull: Secrets of Salazar & the Silent Mary (Featurette).Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Blu-ray: Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 2017.
^"Exclusive: And The Title Of Pirates Of The Caribbean 5 Will Be..."This Is Infamous. August 22, 2013. Archived fromthe original on August 24, 2013. RetrievedMarch 10, 2025.When I asked if this would be a stand-alone adventure or tie into the overall mythology of the series, I was told both, so who knows what's on deck...
.JPG)
.svg)
