Why Pirates of the Caribbean’s Director Hated Black Pearl’s Title
“The Curse of the Black Pearl” was added to POTC to distance the film from the Disneyland ride, but Gore Verbinski hated it for being inaccurate.
You Are Reading :Why Pirates of the Caribbeans Director Hated Black Pearls Title
Franchise starter Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is considered the best film in the pentalogy, but director Gore Verbinski hated the subtitle. The swashbuckling blockbuster went on to launch a multi-billion-dollar franchise, yet Disney initially doubted the film’s prospects. Pirate movies hadn’t been successful for 50 years and Disney didn’t have a stellar track record of adapting their theme park rides.
Nevertheless, Disney was convinced to persevere with the project, and Pirates of the Caribbean was a massive hit whose first two sequels were shot back-to-back. The film follows blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) as he unites with the devious Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) to rescue socialite Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) from the infamous Black Pearl. Unbeknownst to Will, the pirates are immortal, becoming skeletons in the moonlight.
Gore Verbinski returned to direct the second and third films in his Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, but he was firmly opposed to the original’s subtitle “The Curse of the Black Pearl”. As detailed on Jim Hill Media, this was mandated by former Disney CEO Michael Eisner. The idea was to distance the film from the Disneyland attraction and appeal to a wider audience. However, Verbinski thought the title made no sense, and allegedly tried to have it downplayed so it would be ignored by the public.
The company almost canceled the film during pre-production, fearing another bomb like The Country Bears, Disney’s previous theme park adaptation. Although Eisner resolved to continue with Pirates of the Caribbean, the filmmakers were ordered to remove the most obvious references to the ride, like a waterfall entrance to Isla De Muerta. Shortly before release, Eisner was still concerned about comparisons to the attraction. To appeal to older viewers, he demanded a subtitle to emphasize the film’s supernatural elements, which are what the writers attributed to originally getting the movie greenlit. Verbinski was opposed to this as it was not the Black Pearl that was cursed, but rather the Aztec treasure that was plundered by Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and his crew. He supposedly asked the marketing team to make the “The Curse of the Black Pearl” nearly unreadable on the posters. It appears they complied, at least to some extent, as the dark font is unclear on several versions, especially in comparison to the bolder, larger print on the sequels’ posters.
Verbinski may have thought Disney blatantly ignored the story for the sake of marketing, but the title isn’t entirely incorrect. Wherever the Black Pearl sails, it is surrounded by a thick, eerie fog. This was present in the film’s opening, temporarily obscuring a shipwreck before Will is rescued and Elizabeth catches her first glimpse of the ominous black sails disappearing into the mist. This effect is also present during the ransacking of Port Royal and the Pearl’s pursuit of the Interceptor, which was briefly captained by Jack Sparrow. It’s a small detail that may go unnoticed but makes the ship more intimidating. Although the mist is probably just an effect of the cursed pirates’ presence, it does lend a reason for Pirates of the Caribbean’s full title. Of course, another justification for the subtitle was to establish the format for potential sequels. Ironically, Eisner was already thinking ahead after his previous skepticism, and his decision was ultimately the right one.
Adding the subtitle to make Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl instantly grabs more attention and adds to the ship’s mystique. Although not technically accurate, it likely helped convince those not sold on the idea of a pirate movie to experience a unique adventure incorporating horror elements, like ghost ships and other nautical legends. The series’ use of subtitles has built anticipation for each installment, encouraging story speculation by teasing key plot elements.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/pirates-caribbean-black-pearl-gore-verbinski-hated-title-why/