As the producer of over seventy movies and TV shows, you’ve all seen something made by mega producer Jerry Bruckheimer. But if you don’t recognize the name, maybe you’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbean, Bad Boys, Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop, C.S.I., The Amazing Race, or Cold Case. To put it simply, Bruckheimer’s a big deal.

As you might imagine, someone who produces so many movies and TV shows is quite busy.  But a few months ago, on the London set of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Bruckheimer took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a number of questions about how the production had been going.  He also addressed why they decided to shoot in 3D and the challenges of the format, how he’s been enjoying Twitter (follow him here), how new Pirates director Rob Marshall got the job, how they already have ideas for Pirates 5, how does he have the time to watch over everything, and he gave us updates on Lone Ranger and the National Treasure franchise.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to the interview:

Last October, I got to visit the set of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides while the production was filming at Pinewood Studios outside London.  Even though we were told that Johnny Depp would not have the time to do any interviews as he was in all the shots that day, before one of the set ups, he had a few minutes and he answered a some quick questions about how filming had been going and what it was like to work with Penelope Cruz and new Pirates director Rob Marshall.  For what he said, hit the jump:

A few months ago I got to visit the set of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides while the production was filming at Pinewood Studios outside London.  While there, I was able to participate in roundtable interviews with a lot of the cast, as well as screenwriter Terry Rossio.  As one of the creators of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, along with his writing partner Ted Elliott, Rossio has been writing Captain Jack Sparrow since the first film, so it was very cool to hear his thoughts on how the movies have been going and the challenges of making the 4th film great.

What I really liked about Rossio was how honest he was about the writing of a big Hollywood blockbuster.  While you’d like to think everyone involved would have the time to make everything perfect before filming begins, he explained that once the studio figures out a release date, it’s full speed ahead and things change all the time based on the stars and budget.   If you’re interested in writing movies, I think you’ll learn a lot about the process reading or listening to this interview.  Hit the jump to check it out:

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is sitting at a huge dining room table in a equally huge room.  The table is in the center, and there is tons of space on every side.  The walls are opulent.  Guards are in the back of the room. Sitting across from Sparrow is King George II (Richard Griffiths) and nearby is Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) – who is now a privateer.   Even though Jack Sparrow has been captured, you can’t help but think this is exactly where he wants to be as he’s heard the King has the map to the Fountain of Youth.  After some back and forth discussions, Sparrow is going to end up with the map, and his escape plan will be put into action.

Let me back up a second.

A few months ago, I got to visit the set of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides while the production was filming at Pinewood Studios outside London.  While on set I got to see the many stages that were built for the movie, interview most of the cast, and speak with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and screenwriter Terry Rossio.  As a big fan of the Pirates movies, I have to say it was incredibly cool to see the huge production up close.  Also, while I was unsure if a 4th film was necessary as I was let down by the 3rd, everything I learned on set tells me that the filmmakers understood the problems of the 2nd and 3rd films and this new chapter will capture the magic of the first.  I left London excited by what I saw and I’m truly looking forward to May 20, which is the release date of On Stranger Tides.  For more on the set visit (which includes an epic two part video blog), hit the jump:

Disney has released a new trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  As we’ve previously reported, the film picks up where Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End left off: with Captain Jack Sparrow hunting for the Fountain of Youth.  Unfortunately for Captain Jack, a woman from his past forces him on to the Queen Anne’s Revenge, which is a nice little ship as long as you don’t mind that its captain is the ruthless pirate Blackbeard.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer, which contains mermaids, zombies, and Keith Richards.  The film stars Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Kevin R. McNally, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Sam Claflin, and Geoffrey Rush.   Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opens in 3D on May 20, 2011.  Click here to check out our write-up of the trailer’s premiere at Disneyland.

Just a few minutes ago I was sitting in Hall H at Comic-Con watching the Disney Tron: Legacy panel (here’s a write-up).  Just when I thought it was over, Disney showed us a pre-taped video featuring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. In the 3D message, Depp talked about the plot of the 4th Pirates movie (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and he mentioned the Fountain of Youth, zombies, mermaids and Penelope Cruz.  While Disney has been very secretive about the plot until today, the studio just sent out a press release which is as close to a synopsis as we’ve been given. Here’s the one liner:

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) finds himself on an unexpected journey to the fabled Fountain of Youth when a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz) forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane).

Hit the jump for the full cast list and a more detailed synopsis: