Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Continues to Pillage Box Office - Bahamas Settings Play Key Role
Published July 17, 2006
Yo ho ho and a bottle of Cristal for Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Gore Verbinski, and Disney film execs, as Dead Man's Chest, the action-besotted Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, marauded through a second record-breaking weekend, reaping $62.2 million at the box office to become the most popular film thus far in 2006.
Dead Man's Chest debuted last weekend with all all-time record $135.6 million (beating the $114.8 million webbed by Spider-Man in 2002), and sits now with a rapacious North American total of $258.2 million after just ten days.
Dead Man's Chest — which also stars Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom as neophyte buccaneers, and Bill Nighy as a cephalopodic Davy Jones — is well on its way to eclipsing the $305 million domestic and $650 million worldwide takes of its Pirates predecessor, The Curse of the Black Pearl.
"It's really fun when you're riding a comet like this," said Chuck Viane, Disney's head of distribution, as he swooshed by.
The wildfire success of the spooky comedic swashbuckler has spurred the overall box office to a 5% increase over last summer. "Pirates is the kind of movie that gets people excited about other movies," said Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations. "A good experience in a theater can beget another," he said, quoting the Old Testament.
The convoluted plot — involving Sparrow's debt to the heartless Davy Jones, Will and Elizabeth seeking to right themselves with the law and the East India Trading Company, an unrecognizably dissolute ex-Commodore Norrington seeking to "get his life back," cannibals, a voodoo queen, a huge mean squid, and an undead monkey — is brilliantly augmented by idyllic tropical scenery, filmed on location in the Bahamas.
In a bit of understandable crowing, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism refers to the film's local scenery as "sparkling topaz waters caressed by generous swaths of creamy sand - the sky ... window-pane clear and the clouds pop-corn puffed to enviable perfection."
So inviting, in fact, were the Bahamas settings of Chest and the forthcoming third installment in the salty saga, At World's End, that Depp — who seems in no hurry to abandon the Captain Jack character — just announced he will be moving with partner Vanessa Paradis and their two young children, Lily Rose, 7, and Jack, 4, to a private Bahamas island he bought in 2004 - very Brando.
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Continues to Pillage Box Office - Bahamas Settings Play Key Role
- Published: July 17, 2006
- Type: News
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Culture: Celebrity, Video: Film and TV Business, Video: News
- Writer: Eric Olsen
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Funny, it had the same effect over on Desicritics - perhaps too many people don't share your Depp fandom:)
Dee's not reading your article cause we havent seen the film yet:)
there probably isn't a whole lot to say about what is essentially a box office and film locations report - there certainly appear to be a multitude of Depp fans out there.
I don't think I gave anything vital away - Dee is safe!
I really...really....really...didn't like this movie.
Chris, we sqw it at the drive-in and so didn't get a very reliable reading, but I thought it was way long, didn't do enough with the characters, and didn't hold together very well. But I will also give it another try. There was certainly an emphasis on action and effects above all else.
oh, I love the locations, though, which is why I thought the Bahamas info interesting
Exactly, Eric. I fell asleep so many times during the film and kept waking up 30 minutes later going "Jesus Christ! It's still ON??"
The parts that I did see were just ridiculous--especially the middle to the end. Gratuitous action sequences, too many corny one liners for Johnny Depp, not enough character development--it was just sloppy big blockbuster writing. Hopefully they get it better the next time.
i LOVED the movie and i would pay to see it again and johnny depp is so hot!!!!!!!!!!
ak, you are clearly not alone!
Chris, agreed - maybe they can get back to some of the strengths of the first one, second acts are always tough because you don't have a beginning or an end. Although 3 might not be the "end," they are already talking about a 4th, and with the box office explosion it seems even more likely
ak, Johnny definitely IS hot. There's no denying that. But that doesn't mean some of his movies don't suck. -cough- The Man Who Cried, Nick of Time, The Astronaut's Wife -cough-
The Bahamas are flat as pancakes. Some of the film was done there, and some on Dominica, which has rugged topgraphy, as you can see in the movie.
i was dragged to watch this because supeerman was to begin in over an hour while pirates was in 7 minutes.
52-48 i'm happy with the movie.
i'm a bit lost about *SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT CROSS*
the fella at the end. i remember him from the first one however vaguely.
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new record breaker for most traffic and no comments - yay, ugg