[Update: Got some new quotes and more info on this subject]
If you’ve been keeping up with the news about the upcoming fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, you’ll probably be aware of the fact that it’s been given the subtitle of “On Stranger Tides.” As we reported a little under a month ago, the title is exactly the same as a pirate book by Tim Powers from 22 years ago, which is about the Fountain of Youth (Pirates 4’s reported plot hook) and which also contains a pirate character called Jack.
It seemed like TOO much of a wild coincidence for Disney not to have had based their Pirates 4 story on Powers’ book and we now learn, from the author himself, that the film IS based on his book after all. What a HUGE surprise… (Sarcasm alert!)
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After Depp appeared in character as Captain Jack Sparrow at the Disney’s D23 Expo, and the On Stranger Tides subtitle was revealed (along with a title card featuring it), Powers’ e-mail inbox suddenly got flooded by messages from surprised friends and fans, along with legal advice in case he needed to know how to sue…
But Powers has finally revealed to the LATimes that he has been in cahoots with Disney for quite a while now, and notes how he wasn’t able to talk about it until now. Here’s what he had to say:
“I was still — as far as I understood — not free to talk about it… Then about a week ago my agent wrote and said, ‘You’re now able to say that in fact Disney did option the book.’ That happened a while ago, it’ll be three years in April.”
Powers also went on to reveal his thoughts on how Disney will “adapt” his book i.e. just how much they will use. Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly, depending on how you look at it) he doesn’t think they’ll borrow extensively, not least because the main characters (despite sharing one name) don’t “overlap.”
“I’ve watched all the movies several times, of course, and I think the clear thing they would use is the trip to the Fountain of Youth… My main character doesn’t overlap with Jack Sparrow at all [in personality or circumstance]; they’re totally different characters. I suppose they might overlap the Geoffrey Rush character Barbossa and Blackbeard. The only thing I feel certain they will hold on to is the Fountain of Youth since they telegraphed that at the end of the last movie.”
“I don’t know if it’s proper to say [the movie is] based on [my book] but there are enough common elements to think that the book had to be optioned to us to reasonably proceed along that story line.”
For the rest of what Powers had to say – including on the whole “Depp’s loss of enthusiasm after Dick Cook’s departure as Chairman of Disney” thing – you can head over to LATimes’ Hero Complex.
As I said, I don’t think it comes to a surprise to anyone that the similarities – notably the use of the name – between Pirates of the Caribbean 4 and the Powers book aren’t a coincidence. It’s always nice to get confirmation on this sort of thing, though it’s interesting that Disney has turned to a pre-established source to find a story for their fourth installment in a franchise that will make money no matter WHAT the story…
What do you think about Pirates of the Caribbean 4 being based off of Tim Powers’ On Stranger Tides book? Do you think it’s a good idea that Disney is basing their story on a pre-established one? Have you read Powers’ book, and if so how much of it do you think will be adapted for Pirates 4?
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is supposed to start filming next Spring, and has a general release date of Summer 2011.
Sources: LATimes (Hero Complex) (thanks to Joblo)
Update Source: Empire
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22 Comments
I believe that if Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides does really use that title “on stranger tides”, then it wont be everything from the book word for word that will be in the movie!, it will be a pirates of the caribbean-disney-jerry bruckheimer movie with johnny depp and geoffrey rush starring in it with a 95% percent interpitation directly from the book, but in a completed pirates of the caribbean disney-jerry bruckhimer movie style!, when its released on july 8th, 2011 friday to movie theaters nation wide!. So don’t expect to see a non-pirates of the caribbean pirates movie, that still has the pirates of the caribbean title!. Expect to see a pirates of the caribbean pirates movie that IS a pirates of the caribbean movie like the first three movies, with the core and essence from the first pirates of the caribbean movie, pirates of the caribbean: the curse of the black pearl. It luckily will not be a pirates of the caribbean dead mans chest type of movie or a pirates of the caribbean at world’s end type of movie, because they are going to lighten up the story and plot for the fourth pirates of the caribbean movie, so that it’ll be alot like the first pirates of the caribbean movie!, where it’s turns out to not be “over done!”, “sorta speak!”.
So is Blackbeard going to be the main villain?
Yes, Blackbeard is going to be the main villain. For all we might know, there could even be more then one villain again against captain jack sparrow and his blackpearl ship crew.
Cool, thanks Sean. Are you just assuming that he’s the main villain or you have sources saying so? Thanks.
No, he will be the main villain, and i know that because, there isn’t really any reason to replace him with anyone else, and because since blackbeard does not have any supernatural abilities, and the fourth movie will be taking a lower setting in special effects, that pretty much should give anyone the clue that “yes”, he is indeed going to be the villiain of jack sparrow and his crew of the blackpearl. Although, since this is a pirates of the caribbean-disney movie, they might even give the blackbeard character a supernatural curse that changes the way he looks in a puticualr unknown condition, like how captain barbossa changed in to a skeletal pirate under the moonlight at night!, something possibly simular to that!.
Ok, that’s just you ASSUMING then. You don’t really know this as FACT.
Well i did read somewhere on the internet (movie website), that said that it has been confirmed that he will be the villain in the fourth movie!. If you use the google search engine, and use the google alerts system they have, and have pirates of the caribbean: on stranger tides as one of the subjects to get update about the movie from any movie website all over the internet, you might get an update about blackbeard the pirate being the villain in the pirates movie, because they are going to be using the “on stranger tides” book for the story of the fourth pirates of the caribbean movie, and blackbeard the pirate IS in it so, in other words what does that tell us?!.
Yes, but they’re using some elements from the book. Yes it’s possible that they’ll use Blackbeard as the main villain but you’re saying it as if it’s fact, which it is not…yet.
Ok yeah, Terry Rossio seems to be pretty much confirming that Blackbeard is the main villain.
That what i mean, is he’s confirming it but not admitting to it yet. He will soon though, because they can’t just keep everything under wraps if they are going to release a movie, which they are. So more info regarding it will be released as of probably real soon. Which that, i am sure about that!.
That looks a little…strange for my taste.
Gina, hey that fine!, everyone has their own opinion!. But in my opinion, i’d say that this looks like it’s going to be a good movie regarless of what anyone says, because it’s going to be brought down to the core and essense that the first movie has!, so that it does not end seeming to be over down like the second and third movies in the franchise!. Maybe that way, it’ll be a big enough hit to possibly beat the amount of money that the first movie made!. It might even be able to beat the amount of money that the second and third movies made in the box office also!. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see though, what’ll happen!, right?.
sorry, i ment to say “over done” there at the begining of my previous comment, sorry!.
I’ve been more interested in Pirates 4 than the other sequels because it focuses on the strongest aspect of the franchise: The repertoire between Jack and Barbossa.
Yes, i agree with you!, i also think that since this upcoming pirates of the caribbean movie will focus on jack and barbossa, that might help the movie itself be as good as the first movie, and on top of that, there will be a pirates enemy against jack and barbossa, and the crew of the blackpearl, so that will help the story be interesting enough to be worth seeing, and worth seeing it maybe more then once!, “several times”. As far as i’m aware of, if they make the story into a pirates of the caribbean version of the book, then i’d say that’ll be a great movie to see, and it’ll most likely even be a BIG box office hit, and i would assume that this time everyone will like it, like the first movie, although, i do know that there are some people who out there who did enjoy the second and third movies, because if there wasn’t, then it wouldn’t have made alot of money in the box office world wide!. Which by now it’s obvious that alot of people did go to see the second and third pirates of the caribbean disney/jerry bruckheimer movies!.
Why do you find it “interesting that Disney has turned to a pre-established source to find a story.”?
After all the Fairy Tales, J. Verne and even Uncle Remus material they’ve used and banked on, picking that story for ranother Pirate film was a no-brainer.
(BTW… I’m a huge Depp fan as well as a POTC fan, but if pushed Disney could make a great Pirate film with all new Characters and Casting. (Remember the first one?) It’s all a ‘treat’ on the screen and if the whole thing is entertaining, fun and a great (or not so great story) it’s still a good time eating Popcorn and ‘being a Pirate’ for 2-hours. It’s ‘Entertainment’ not ‘Real Life’. Now Wrestling is Real… isn’t it? )
Now, go back and see my bets on casting…
Gotta Fly! ~Stark
Stark Industries, i think Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will do great in the box office because they already said that it will be alot like pirates of the caribbean: the curse of the black pearl. I think alot of people still like pirates 1 the most anyways, but they may just change their minds once pirates 4 comes out!, it’ll have been 4 years since pirates 3 came out when pirates4 comes out in july 2011. And what you said about the “real life” thing, who cares?!, they are movies, not to be taken seriously!. In movies, the stories in them are always a whole lot more unrealistic then in real life anyways!. That is why movies are called movies, not “real life!”.
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS for the VILLIAN!!! finally, mainstream audience will know who the best working actor really is(i’m sick and tired of people saying Depp is the best. he’s great, but he aint the best)…
Marshall just worked with DDL so he has contact with him. it would be amazing seeing Depp and DDL play off each other. but if tis movie conflicts with Scorsese’s long delayed ‘Silence’ then, i suggest he should turn this down…
PS. Scorsese should drop ‘Sinatra’ and start working on ‘Silence’
Depp would still be interested here even if Dick Cook has left. i mean, DDL is a major attraction. i just hope DDL would do it. he’s very selective on films
Chris, he does not look anything like johnny depp!. How about if they do like cgi’d face of johnny depp, on an other guys face, who weighs exactly the same as him and who is exactly as tall as he is so that no difference can be seen, when the fifth and sixth movies are released?, also, it would have to be someone who voice sounds exactly likes his, which might be impossible to do!. And it would have be someone who tha would be willing to get all the same visible tattoos that johnny depp have, because johnny depp’s captain jack saprrow character just like him has tattoos!. Hopefully it woill not be a hard task to put a cgi’d face of johnny depps on another guys face, so that there will not be any noticible differences!!!.
imdb.com now says that pirates of the caribbean: on stranger tides is coming to movie theaters on july 8th, 2011 friday!. Check it out there if anyone here reading this is interested in seeing pirates 4 webpage on imdb.com!.
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