Very few franchises have ever or will ever be as successful as The Pirates of the Caribbean . The swashbuckling antics of Captain Jack Sparrow are some of cinema’s most beloved.
Recently, a proverbial treasure chest was unlocked, filled with 10+ behind the scenes secrets about The Pirates of the Caribbean fans had never heard of.
Check out these savvy facts for yourself!
1. The role of Captain Jack Sparrow was written with Hugh Jackman in mind.
However, Disney didn’t think (at the time) that Jackman had enough celebrity status to lead the franchise.
Good call on that one, Disney. I’m not mad, I’m just saying…
Several a-list actors turned it down before Disney offered the project to Depp.
Most notably was Robert DeNiro . Apparently he didn’t believe that a pirate film would fare well at the box office, given the genre’s past history.
Needless to say, when the opportunity came for him to be cast in Stardust , he practically leaped at the chance.
2. Johnny was almost certain he’d be fired from the film.
“It trickled back to me that Michael Eisner went on some sort of bent about how ‘Goddamnit Johnny Depp’s ruining the film! Is it drunk? Is it gay?’ And so I fully expected to be fired.”
3. Tom Hiddleston auditioned for the role of Will Turner.
“The hardest part is not getting the part you really wanted,” Tom said during an interview. “The worst one for me was missing out on the Orlando Bloom role in Pirates Of The Caribbean .”
4. Keira Knightley really wanted to sword fight in the first film.
“Am I angry about that? Yes, very! And do they know I’m angry? Yes, they do. But I still didn’t get a sword . I asked every single day, anyone I could ask, if I could have a sword but I didn’t get one.”
Keira thankfully got her chance in the second installment.
5. The cast had no idea that Geoffrey Rush was returning in *Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest*.
The crew wanted as authentic a reaction as was possible, hence why Barbossa’s return was kept a secret until the very last second.
How crazy is that?
6. Johnny Depp’s inspiration for Jack Sparrow really rocks!
It’s none other than The Rolling Stones’ legendary guitarist, Keith Richards!
“It was very strange initially you know when the character’s main ingredients came up. I was a little worried at what Keith Richards was gonna think.”
This is what led to Keith eventually making a cameo appearance in *Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides*.
Keith played Johnny’s father, Captain Teague , the Keeper of the Pirate Code.
Seeing the two of them on screen together was like looking into a very strange mirror.
7. Keira Knightley was only 17 years old while she was shooting *Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl*.
She had barely turned 18 by the time the film had hit theaters!
Keira did an amazing job for someone so young, she’s one of the best parts of the film!
8. The sets from *Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl* are now used as tourist attractions!
You can spend an afternoon trying on different pirate costumes , as well as immerse yourself in the very same setting as the film actors themselves!
9. Captain Jack’s pistol is the real deal.
For obvious reasons, it’s not a good idea to have real guns anywhere near a movie set. An exception was made for Captain Jack’s sidearm , which just so happens to be an actual 17th-century Flintlock pistol.
10. The boat that Keira Knightley was on actually sunk!
It was during one of the night shoots. The crew had been warned about the dangerous proximity to reefs and how difficult they could be to spot.
From then on, all night scenes were shot in studio.
11. There are several references made to the Disney theme park ride.
The film is based on the ride, so it only makes sense that it would reference it! For instance, the song ” A Pirate’s Life For Me ” is the eery ode that plays throughout for those who’ve never visited.
12. The scripts weren’t even finished when the second and third installments began filming!
Disney wanted to make sure to strike while the iron was hot! This meant rushing to production as soon as it was humanly possible.
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Writers literally had to figure things out as they went along.
13. Johnny Depp improvised a number of Jack Sparrow’s most famous catchphrases.
Johnny is supposedly the one who came up with ” Savvy ?” as well as the film’s closing line “Bring me that horizon.”
What I want to know is who came up with “Why is the rum gone!?” It gets me every time!
