While Disney hasn't even shown a trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the studio is already planning to shoot the fifth and sixth installments in the franchise back-to-back. According to Hitfix, the studio is "quietly telling cast and crew to set aside a major block of time in the very near future so they can shoot Pirates 5 and Pirates 6," back-to-back. For those who don't know, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End were shot this way and despite their gargantuan budgets, they made an even bigger return. The Pirates series has become one of Disney's marquee franchises so it's no surprise they're already planning out the new sequels.
Hit the jump to learn about Johnny Depp's schedule, which will likely dictate when these bad boys shoot.
Depp is currently planning to shoot Tim Burton's Dark Shadows and Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger in 2011. Depp has also expressed interest in starring in a re-adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s The Thin Man and has been in talks to costar in Kathryn Bigelow's Triple Frontier.
There's currently no word on whether Disney is trying to get Pirates 4 helmer Rob Marshall to direct the next two movies or where they plan to go with the story. The big question is whether audiences will still want to see more Jack Sparrow. We'll get our answer to that question when Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides hits theater in 3D on May 20, 2011.
For those just tuning in, here's the film's official synopsis:
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D™. Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed tale of truth, betrayal, youth and demise. When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love—or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.
The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa, and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid. In theaters Memorial Day weekend, 2011.
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