“Pirates of the Caribbean” made an impression largely thanks to Johnny Depp’s performance. Still, Disney wasn’t a fan of his version of Jack Sparrow but was won over by producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Johnny Depp star of Pirates of the Caribbean
With Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Johnny Depp created a cult character and adored by spectators: Captain Jack Sparrow. A mysterious pirate and a bit of a loser who benefits from a remarkable chance to get out of all situations. As soon as he arrived in Port Royal with a sinking boat, you could get an idea of the trickster who was going carry the lucrative Disney franchise. Even if he is accompanied in the first two films of Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) he is the star we like to find for each adventure. And the interpretation of Johnny Depp contributes greatly to it.
Because it is the actor who created the character in this way, finding inspiration both in Pepe the Polecat and Keith Richards. The latter also makes an appearance in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) where he plays Sparrow’s father. Thus, Johnny Depp made an original and memorable proposal that was not at all what Disney originally imagined.
Jack Sparrow freaks Disney out
As revealed Jerry Bruckheimer in an interview with QGthe first script by Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott imagined a more classic and elegant pirate a la Burt Lancaster. A style old school as in The Red Corsair (1952) by Robert Siodmak. But Johnny Depp therefore wanted to mix Pépé le Putois and the Rolling Stones guitarist for his Jack Sparrow. A choice that has freak out disney who produced Pirates of the Caribbean.
The studio panicked. They did not understand and asked if he was drunk, wondered about the history of this character. Plus he has gold teeth!
Fortunately, Jerry Bruckheimer is a producer who knows his trade and knows how to be convincing.
I said, “Don’t worry. Let me cut some shot footage and I’ll show you what it looks like.” So we cut about fifteen minutes from the film because some performances were too excessive. We kind of reduced those elements and showed them and they loved it.
We could therefore have had an even more offbeat Jack Sparrow, but the result remains very good. Thanks to his performance, Johnny Depp has forged a little more of a fan base who did not fail to react when Disney has cast aside the comedian because of Amber Heard’s accusations of domestic violence. In the ensuing defamation lawsuit, the actor claimed he never wanted to work with the studio again for an upcoming Pirates of the Caribbeanregardless of the salary offered to him.
