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Pirates of the Caribbean 6has been confirmed to be in development since 2018, and Disney’s upcoming action/adventure movie faces an uphill battle to overcome the franchise’s issues.
Ever since the release of 2017’sPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, there has not been much confidence about the future of the franchise.Dead Men Tell No Talesholds a 30% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and was not praised by many critics either.
In fact, thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchisehas been on a downward spiral ever since the original movie came out in 2003, somethingPOTC 6needs to change.
Since the release ofDead Men Tell No Tales, there have been different plans proposed for the sixthPirates of the Caribbeanfilm.
At one point,a reboot starring Margot Robbie seemed to be gaining momentum, but that was eventually canceled.
In March 2024, producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed thatPirates of the Caribbean 6is still in the works, and revealed that it would indeed be a reboot.
However, if a sixthPirates of the Caribbeanmovie is going to fare better than the previous four entries in the franchise, some changes need to be made.
Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Must Move Away From The Original Story To Break Its 4-Movie Trend
Disney Should Not Keep Relying On The Same Pirates of the Caribbean Characters
In 2003,Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearlwas a resounding success, which surprised many considering it was a movie based on an amusement park ride.
Regardless,The Curse of the Black Pearl’sbox office haul and positive reviews warranted sequels.Gore Verbinski, director of the first movie, returned to direct two sequels:Dead Man’s ChestandAt World’s End.
While the reviews of these two movies were not as positive as the first film, fans still loved them because they continued (and eventually concluded) the captivating story that began inThe Curse of the Black Pearl.
Pirates of the Caribbean Movie Title
Domestic Box Office
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
$305,413,918
80%
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
$423,315,812
53%
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
$309,420,425
44%
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
$241,071,802
33%
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
$172,558,876
30%
However, whileAt World’s Endprovided a satisfying conclusion to the series, Disney decided to make two morePirates of the Caribbeanmovies.
2011’sPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tidesand the aforementionedDead Men Tell No Talescontinued the downward critical trajectory becauseDisney relied on many of the same characters from the first three films to bring audiences back to theaters.WhileJack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), and Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley) are all beloved characters, they already received satisfying character arcs in the original three movies.
Since the original actors received such satisfying conclusions by the end ofPirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, including them in two morePiratesfilms only served to tarnish the legacy of the original three movies.
Additionally, their inclusion appeared to many as ashallow attempt at fan service by Disney.Therefore, ifPirates of the Caribbean 6wants to be more successful than its predecessors, it needs to feature a brand-new set of characters on a new adventure.
A Fresh Start Is The Only Way Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Can Recapture The Magic Of The Original
The Possibilities For Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Are Endless
By starting from scratch, thenextPirates of the Caribbeaninstallmentcan simultaneously put legacy characters and storylines to rest and allow new arrivals in the series to succeed on their own terms.
Part of the problem with the series' sequels is that thenew characters have been overshadowed by Depp’s flamboyant Jack Sparrow.
Cutting Sparrow, and other regular associates out completely is the best way for Disney to finally get a clean break and begin to plan properly for the future.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been massively profitable for Disney, but if the franchise continues then some changes have to be made.
Since many details about the upcomingPirates of the Caribbean 6are still unknown, it has also been theorized that Disney may want to remakeThe Curse of the Black Pearlwith a new set of actors.
This should also not be the case, since remaking the original would only lead audiences to constantly draw comparisons between the two.The Curse of the Black Pearlis already an exceptional film, and its story does not need to be told again.
Instead,Pirates of the Caribbean 6needs to head for open waters and tell a new story that will intrigue a new generation of fans.
