2003 Action Film Never Hit No. 1—But Became the ‘Greatest Theme Park Movie of All Time’

On June 28, 2003, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl premiered at Disneyland, becoming the first film to ever do so. The reasoning made sense: it was based on the popular Disney ride, so why not debut it at the park where the film’s idea originated? While those involved in the movie’s creation faced doubts and ridicule, they got the last laugh when it grossed more than $650 million worldwide and launched a film franchise worth over $4 billion, despite never reaching No. 1 at the U.S. box office. It debuted at No. 2, despite its impressive run.

The Odds Against Success

Most didn’t have high expectations for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. 2002’s The Country Bears, based on a Disney World stage show, was a box-office flop. Not to mention how poorly recent pirate films had performed. 1995’s Cutthroat Island, starring Geena Davis and Matthew Modine, was not just a critical and commercial failure but also forced the film studio Carolco Pictures to file for bankruptcy.

The film starred Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, and Johnny Depp. Knightley, who was only 17 when filming began, recalled later that her years making Pirates of the Caribbean were “a brutal time to be a young woman in the public eye,” and that she experienced stalking.

The Battle Over Jack Sparrow

While it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Depp playing the lead role of Jack Sparrow, the actor was considered a controversial choice at the time. What the studio wanted was a movie star, which they didn’t think Depp was. Actors such as Matthew McConaughey, Jim Carrey, and Michael Keaton were considered for the role before Depp signed on.

Disney’s head honchos, especially, hated his interpretation of the character. “They just couldn’t stand him,” Depp claimed to Vanity Fair. “I think it was Michael Eisner, the head of Disney at the time, who was quoted as saying, ‘He’s ruining the movie.'”

Disney’s gamble — and Depp’s — ultimately paid off. Depp won a Screen Actors’ Guild Award, MTV Movie Award, and an Empire Award, and was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Jack Sparrow.

The films later expanded the world with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

The 2006 sequel went on to become the highest-grossing film of its release year and the third film in history to cross the $1 billion mark globally.

Against a backdrop of studio doubt, failed pirate movies, and intense personal pressures on its young cast, Pirates of the Caribbean proved to be a historic gamble. By trusting its unique creative vision and Depp’s eccentric lead performance, Disney transformed a risky theme-park adaptation into a multi-billion-dollar cinematic phenomenon.