It all started with a ride…
When Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl hit screens in 2003, it became an instant blockbuster and a beloved classic. Three swashbuckling sequels later, and the series has taken in over $3.7 billion at the box office.
This weekend, the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow returns as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales makes its global debut. Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg and starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, and Orlando Bloom, this rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack in the sights of the terrifying Captain Salazar and his horde of deadly ghost sailors bent on killing every pirate at sea.
Since 2003, Pirates of the Caribbean has become a worldwide phenomenon. Its beginnings, however, stretch back half a century, to the signature theme park attraction at Disneyland, which this year celebrates 50 years in action.
Like the films, the attraction is a global sensation. The ride has expanded around the world, with installments in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and most recently, at Shanghai Disney Resort in an all-new immersive experience featuring cutting-edge projection technology.
In a nod to the film franchise’s roots, the red-carpet world premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales took place at Shanghai Disney Resort earlier this month, becoming the first Hollywood film to premiere in Mainland China. Just a few days later, the cast and filmmakers traveled to Disneyland Paris to surprise guests in celebration of that park’s 25th anniversary.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is in theaters now.