Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Definitely on the way (1 Viewer)

[Scott Weinberg]

According to Variety, Gore Verbinski has just signed on to direct the sequel. Screenwriters Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio all already on board, as are stars Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.

The proposed sequel was announced just one short week after Pirates 1 opened big; Verbinski's signing is the latest news.

Oh, and obviously it'll have Bruckheimer's name all over it.

So what do we all think? Like most of you, I just LOVED Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and cannot wait to see what booty awaits on December's 2-disc set.

Where should the sequel go? What pirate adventures would you come up with? Does the idea of a sequel get you excited (ala Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) or kinda skeptical (ala Bad Boys 2)?

Personally...I'm psyched. Mainly because they've retained the main filmmaking nucleus. Writers, producer, director, stars... That's the way to make a sequel. Sure it's another huge moneybath for all involved, but I suspect that these people really LIKED the movie they made. Looks like it was an arduous shoot, but Pirates hit on all cylinders and it's nice to know that the key people are enthusiastic about coming up with another adventure.

It COULD have been a direct-to-video sequel starring Thomas Haden Church as Jack Sparrow, directed by Brian Levant.

 

[JohnE]

Excellent news. PotC was about the nicest suprise of the year to me. I had high hopes for it but never imagined I would enjoy it as much as I did. Captain Jack Sparrow, IMO, is one of the funnest characters in years, played perfectly by Johnny Depp. I think PotC could end up in the same league as the Indiana Jones movies over time, especially if they can strike gold again with the sequel.

 

[Nick Sievers]

I'm all over a sequel for this one, some of the most fun I have had at the cinema in a while. Johnny Depp really put this film on another level, glad he is returning. If he wasn't then I might have been a little more skeptical.

Hopefully a plot synopsis will appear soon, I would like to see where they are taking this new franchise.

 

[JustinCleveland]

The only booty I want on that set is Kiera Knightly...

Er..

um...

:b

The curse of the Black Pearl story is completed, so the new story should be completely different, as Depp sails with his new crew, being actual pirates.

 

[streeter]

I think it needs a really good villain. They can't just do more of the same. Look at Analyze That. (totally different type of movie, though) It failed because it was basically More Analyze This. They should have added another mobster character - maybe Al Pacino or Marlon Brando.

So I think it's very important that they get a really good villain - and a very big star to play it.

 

[Alex Spindler]

I'm guardedly happy about this news. The most positive is that the core talent has all returned, which is a very good thing.

The reason I am tentative in my enthusiasm is that I thought PotC managed to do everything I could want in a pirate adventure film. When I was describing my appreciation for the film, I listed all of the many things they managed to get in that met every expectation I had. Namely, they managed to get pirates, skeletons, monkeys, skeletal pirate monkeys, ship to ship battles, pirates raiding towns, cave hideouts with mountains of gold, successful homages to the source theme park ride, and a wonderful cast, crew, special effects, and set design.

My fear is that they may get stuck in a rut and won't have much more to throw in there. As I watched Cutthroat Island and the trailers for Master and Commander (I know, not a pirate movie), I was immediately thinking back to how positively PotC managed to do what it set out to do. They're going to have their genius level thinking caps on to top the first, or we may have ourselves a MIBII (*shudder*).

 

[Matthew Chmiel]

It COULD have been a direct-to-video sequel starring Thomas Haden Church as Jack Sparrow, directed by Brian Levant.

Now we know that'll only happen if Disney holds their feet on this potential franchise for 5 or more years.

I'm happy for this sequel, especially since they got most of the creative team behind the first one up to do this one. I just hope this is on par with the first one and not extremely worse (as Alex said, like MIBII).

 

[Steve_Tk]

Hey some of us liked Bad Boys 2 . Anyway I think this is a good idea. There are a lot of possibilities, just like MIB, but hopefully it doesn't turn out like MIBII (like already mentioned).

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

...I think it's very important that they get a really good villain - and a very big star to play it.

Scratch "big star", replace with "good actor", and I am with you.

Regards,

 

[streeter]

Scratch "big star", replace with "good actor", and I am with you.

Good idea!

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Agreed. Big stars are for playing heroes. Great actors are what you need for villains.

 

[Raymond_H]

Big stars are for playing heroes. Great actors are what you need for villains.

I want Daniel Day-Lewis.


Raymond

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Oooh, we're casting the new villain?

Howzabout Jason Isaacs?

 

[Todd Phillips]

Howzabout Jason Isaacs?

Seeing as how he's Captain Hook in Peter Pan, that might end up feeling redundant.

 

[streeter]

Howzabout Robert Downey Jr. as John Sparrow, Jack Sparrow's treacherous brother?

 

[Ross Waite]

On the topic of villain...how about Gary Oldman or Alan (Hans) Rickman? Perhaps even Jim Caveziel.

Just tossing some names around.

-Ross

 

[Carlo_M]

As with most of you, I too am guardedly optimistic. And I do agree that they need a good actor(s) to play a good villain.

I liked the original so much I will probably see this anyway.

 

[Carlo_M]

One more thought...

Would this be the first sequel Depp has starred in?

I think it is the first sequel where he starred in the original. I guess an argument could be made for Once upon a time in Mexico, but it's not a true sequel, and he wasn't in the original (El Mariachi or Desperado).

I always thought of Johnny Depp as the "artiste" type who didn't like to do many blockbusters, and generally stayed away from sequels.

 

[Ryan_C]

I always thought of Johnny Depp as the "artiste" type who didn't like to do many blockbusters, and generally stayed away from sequels.

I think you are right Carlo. I can't recall offhand a sequel he has done.

I think part of the reason might be Depp's fondness and connection with the character. Depp said in many reviews that his inspiration for the Sparrow character were rock stars, particularly Keith Richards, since to him pirates were the rocks stars of their time b/c of the way they lived. And own life was very "rock star" like before he settled down. He even played slide guitar on the song "Slide Away" on Oasis' first album.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I think he showed up in some "flashback" scenes in Freddy's Dead.

Looking through Depp's filmography...I see very few that I'd call Really Bad. The Astronaut's Wife undoubtedly. He can be forgiven Private Resort. (Every actor has some tittie flick on their resumé somewhere.) Nick of Time is semi-bad, semi-fun. (Can't go wrong with Walken, Depp and Badham.) I've never seen Arizona Dream or if I have I don't remember frame one of it. I could see calling Cry-Baby a bad flick but I like it.

In other words: if Johnny Depp were a ballplayer, he'd be Ted Williams.