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Universal secures franchise for “Pirates of the Caribbean” and opens attraction at Universal Studios amid “dissolution” of Disney

Universal secures franchise for “Pirates of the Caribbean” and opens attraction at Universal Studios amid “dissolution” of Disney

Did Universal just add Pirates of the Caribbean to its theme park?

Three people dressed as pirates, reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean, are chatting on the deck of a ship. The central figure, wearing a red headscarf and pearls, faces an elderly man in a black hat. To the left stands a woman in a wide-brimmed hat, while a gruff sailor can be seen in the background.
Photo credit: Disney

Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the Disney Park attractions that many guests consider a must-do and must-experience during their vacation. Considering that Walt Disney himself worked on the original Disneyland attraction, there has always been something magical about being able to sail through the pirates’ epic cannonball battle or glide through the burning village.

Of course, the story of “Pirates of the Caribbean” really took off in 2003, when pirates of the Caribbean was published.

Many pirates of the Caribbean Fans who believed Disney was solely responsible for the $4.5 billion swashbuckling franchise may be surprised to learn that Universal, Disney’s competitor, played a much larger role in the film’s development than they might have expected.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean”Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean”
Photo credit: Disney
The pirates of the Caribbean Franchise is one of the few cases where Disney developed an attraction with an original storyline that became so popular that the House of Mouse decided to make a movie out of it. We have seen this with other attractions, such as Haunted House, Jungle Cruiseand there are currently films in the pipeline for “Tower of Terror” (which already has a film based on the attraction’s storyline) and “Space Mountain.”

However, no Disney franchise that has turned a ride into a movie has ever had the same success as pirates of the Caribbean.

Knowing that Pirates is a Disney creation through and through, many would be surprised to hear that one actually has a pirates of the Caribbeanan experience at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Virtual tour of Universal Studios HollywoodVirtual tour of Universal Studios Hollywood
Photo credit: Universal

For example, sets from the Universal films Psycho, Back to the Future, Nope, The Sting, Big Outdoors, and the Paramount/DreamWorks film War of the Worlds are visited as part of the tour. However, Universal is not the only company that uses its outdoor area; others also pay fees to use the premises, including Disney.

A Universal Studios Studio Tour tram drives through debris from a plane crashA Universal Studios Studio Tour tram drives through debris from a plane crash
Photo credit: Universal Studios

The Walt Disney Studios also used the outdoor area for films such as pirates of the Caribbean Film seriess, 101 Dalmatians, 102 Dalmatians, And The Princess Diaries 2especially for city scenes.

You can actually see part of the set of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest when you’re on the tram! Thanks to Universal HIGH, we now know exactly when and where to look to get a glimpse of the location.

“If you look back on the studio tour when entering the Earthquake attraction, you can see the bar set that was used as the Tortuga in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Dead Man’s Chest (2006) 🏴‍☠️”

On the Universal grounds there is a huge water reservoir with a huge green screen, which Disney also used for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

What’s wrong with Pirates of the Caribbean 6?

The pirates of the Caribbean The franchise has been mired in controversy recently, with fans boycotting any future developments due to Johnny Depp’s exit.

Depp’s status in Hollywood is undeniably well-deserved, even if it has been questioned by many recently due to his legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard.

He delivered a poignant portrayal of the misunderstood Edward Scissorhands (1990) in Tim Burton’s classic. Depp ventured into another fantastic world as the Mad Hatter Alice in Wonderland (2010). He brought his eccentricity to life as Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), another collaboration with Burton. Depp’s portrayal of an unsuccessful writer in When dreams learn to fly (2004) brings a heartwarming twist to the story inspired by Peter Pan’s creator. And these films are just a small part of his impressive resume.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the CaribbeanJohnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean
Photo credit: Disney

As many fans of the franchise know, Disney has decided to remove Johnny Depp from all future pirates of the Caribbean films, despite his leading role. Disney made this decision prematurely and wanted to distance itself from Depp due to the abuse allegations made by his ex-wife Amber Heard before a verdict was reached.

In hindsight, if Disney had maintained its loyalty until the verdict, it might have been able to keep its leading actor, maintain a significant fan base, and ensure a future for the franchise since Depp was found not guilty.

Rumors circulated that Depp might return to the franchise, although he had previously stated that he would not return for a sixth film, even for $300 million. At one point, a version of the film with a woman in the lead role was being considered, with Barbie (2023) star Margot Robbie could potentially take on the role of a new Jack Sparrow, but that project has since been put on hold.

Johnny Depp as confused Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” seriesJohnny Depp as confused Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series
Photo credit: Disney

Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed that the sixth pirates of the Caribbean The film is in development, with a script already written. However, he mentioned that it would be a complete reboot, as Disney is not waiting for all the schedules to line up before starting production. It seems that Disney is planning to reboot the franchise with a completely new cast, which means Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Maybe not even a “sixth” film, but the beginning of a new legacy.

However, Disney is expanding pirates of the Caribbean in their parks without Jack Sparrow with their new lounge, whose backstory consists entirely of fictional characters.

Did you know that pirates of the Caribbean was filmed at Universal?

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