Johnny Depp returning forPirates of the Caribbean 6wouldn’t be a solve-all—the Disney franchise’s box-office trends prove that it must return to the basics. AnotherPirates of the Caribbeansequel has been confirmed, but just about everything is still in the air with this project. The big question on everyone’s mind has been whether Depp would return to the project or not, with a common sentiment being that the film can’t succeed without the star. However, another factor of the earlierPirates of the Caribbeanmovies must be brought back into play if a sixth film is to redeem the franchise.
Of course, Depp’s return to play Jack Sparrow is a key first step. It’s becoming increasingly clear that fan outcry would be intense if the actor weren’t restored to his iconic role, especially considering Disney’s public dismissal of Depp leading up to his defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard. Still, it can’t be denied thatthePirates of the Caribbeanfranchisewas in trouble long before any of this. The movies' box-office numbers have been on a downward trend ever since the second installment,Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Ironically, asDisney’s budgetgot higher, performance got even lower.
Disney’s Lowest-Budget Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies Performed The Best
The Higher The Budget Got, The Lower The Performance
Critically, thebest-performingPirates of the CaribbeanmoviewasCurse of the Black Pearl, while the highest box-office profit came from the sequel,Dead Man’s Chest. From here, things went downhill.Critics had fewer and fewer good things to say about each installment, and by the timePirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Taleswas released in 2017, Disney’s domestic box office came in at $173 million.This result was especially disappointing since the budget for this film was a sizeable $230 million (viaThe Numbers).
Pirates Of The Caribbean Franchise Box Office & Rotten Tomatoes Scores
$140 million
$305,413,918
86%
$225 million
$423,315,812
72%
$300 million
$309,420,425
$379 million
$241,071,802
54%
$230 million
$172,558,876
60%
Disney’s losses onDead Men Tell No Talesbecome ironic when considering the fact that thePirates of the Caribbeanmovies the company spent the least on performed the best.Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearlis regarded as the best of the franchise, and it only required a production budget of $140 million. The film’s success inspired Disney to take things up a notch withDead Man’s Chest, and they were rewarded with a phenomenal domestic box office of $423 million. Unfortunately, the continued budget increases didn’t pay off in the same way.
Later Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies Overdid It With CGI & Special Effects
More Expensive Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Better
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearlmost certainly featured heavy CGI and special effects, but the film didn’t depend on it from beginning to end. The villains were only skeletons in the moonlight, which meant characters like Barbossa could just appear normally human for the majority of the time. Davy Jones, on the other hand, required extensive CGI for every moment he was on the screen. This was effective for one film, but going intoAt World’s End, this character was just downright expensive but far less interesting to audiences after so long.
Ships sailing across desert sand or more villains requiring neverending CGI intervention just didn’t compare to the simplicity of The Curse of the Black Pearl.
This, of course, wasn’t theend of thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise’s expensive ideas.Disney seemed to be trying to outdo itself with every installment, and while the result was some visually stunning moments, ships sailing across desert sand or more villains requiring neverending CGI intervention just didn’t compare to the simplicity ofThe Curse of the Black Pearl. Now, as Disney attempts to jump back into this franchise,this budget trend should demonstrate to the company that going back to the basics could be a far more effective strategy.
Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Returning To The Basics Would Only Help The Nostalgia Factor
The New Movie Should Feel Similar To Curse Of The Black Pearl
ThePirates of the Caribbeanmovies were in their heyday just as Hollywood was really stretching its wings in the way of movie magic. Technology has gone a long way in a very short amount of time, and we are to the point in the 2020s where it’s no longer surprising to see unimaginable things right on our screens. What’s far more impactful these days is the nostalgia of archaic technology. When watchingPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,the outdated CGI is all part of the charm.
It would be hugely beneficial for the company to look at stories and concepts that can be managed as practically as possible.
Disney most certainly won’t get away with a budget of only $140 million forThe Pirates of the Caribbean 6.However, it would be hugely beneficial for the company to look at stories and concepts that can be managed as practically as possible. The film won’t be able to hide behind over-the-top CGI—it needs an exciting story, a lovable cast, and a campy, nostalgic feel. Hopefully, Depp will be included in this equation as well, but it’s even more important that Disney remembers all that made the earliestPirates of the Caribbeanmovies so successful.
