“That was disappointing in the US”: 7 Years Ago Johnny Depp Caused Chaos at Box Office With His Worst Pirates of the Caribbean Movie

Pirates of the Caribbean has been one of the most significant Hollywood film series that has amassed loads of cash and has boasted a wide fanbase over the years. With its fascinating aspects and an iconic performance by Johnny Depp throughout the movies, the film series has grossed over $4.5 billion worldwide.

There have been five films in the Pirates franchise after it started in 2003. The last and fifth film titled Dead Men Tell No Tales, was released 7 years ago. Interestingly, even after being called the worst entry in the franchise, it managed to flaunt an impressive worldwide gross.

As the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film is celebrating its seventh anniversary, fans have taken over X to discuss what went wrong with the 2017 film and how it earned so much at the box office.

Is Pirates of the Caribbean 5 the worst entry in the Johnny Depp franchise?

When the first Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was released in 2003, it was an entertaining watch. The fans loved Johnny Depp in this new avatar as Captain Jack Sparrow and it made a massive contribution to his career. However, as the makers explored the mythos, the later films could not have the same magic with the fifth film being the worst.

Walt Disney announced the fifth film in the franchise as a standalone sequel to 2011’s On Stranger Tides. Surprisingly, many reasons like the one-dimensional villain Armando Salazar played by Javier Bardem, and the lack of seriousness in Jack Sparrow attracted heavy criticism to the film.

7 years ago today, ‘PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES’ released in theaters.

The film grossed $795.9M worldwide on a budget of $230M. pic.twitter.com/vTNI7QB81l

— Cosmic Marvel (@cosmic_marvel) May 26, 2024

But even after garnering negative reviews, Dead Men Tell No Tales ended with a box office run of $795.9 million against a budget of $230 million (via Box Office Mojo). While many moviegoers may wonder how such a feat was achieved, several fans stated on X that it was due to the impressive international gross and its entertainment value.

What do the fans think about Dead Men Tell No Tales?

The makers incorporated numerous changes to make sure that Dead Men Tell No Tales can mimic the success of The Curse of the Black Pearl. The creative department was changed to bring back the tonality and flavor of the first film.

The film boasted a massive cast of Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, and Kevin McNally. The fan favorites Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley as Will and Elizabeth also made special appearances. Unfortunately, even after such a cast, the film failed domestically with only $172.5 million.

Interestingly, despite a very poor critical reception the fans admitted on X that they found it very entertaining. Although some reasons like franchise fatigue, discontinuation of the canon, and an underdeveloped villain were criticized, the audience did not take the movie as harshly as the critics.

That’s was disappointing in the US but did really well in international countries like China and multiple Asian Countries.

— Edward Arroyo (@EdwardA89005293) May 26, 2024

I quite liked it, actually. Felt a bit small in scope, and the villain felt a bit underdeveloped, but overall an entertaining and enjoyable entry.

— Jon Handy Dandy Man 🦋 (@JonHandyDandy) May 26, 2024

Not THAT bad.
I feel like a good continuation of the story and that would have work as the first step of a new trilogy. Unfortunately, things dosen't end up in that way.

— Mysterious_Eve🇮🇹 (@Lorenzo74209291) May 26, 2024

The film was perfectly entertaining.

— Animol (@Junkflix_1994) May 26, 2024

 

 

That's not a bad box office gross, but it should've had more steam domestically if it weren't for franchise fatigue that year.

— ⭐PaRappa⭐ Alexander Network (@Alexand60243976) May 26, 2024

There have been ongoing discussions for the upcoming entries in the franchise for a long time. Although Johnny Depp openly stated in his trial that he would not return for any Pirates film after Disney fired him due to his legal troubles, the producer has suggested that he may return for a cameo.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, producer Jerry Bruckheimer stated that if he had a say in the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film which is said to be a reboot, then he would have loved to get Depp back. While the franchise will not be the same without our beloved Jack Sparrow, it is to be seen if Johnny Depp returns in a brief appearance to launch a reboot.

Pirates of the Caribbean films can be streamed on Disney+.