Rob Marshall Sounds Uncertain About Pirates 4, Script Not Yet Written
Rob Marshallis out stumping forNine, which means that he’s going to be fielding a lot of questions about the fourthPirates of the Caribbeanfilm. SubtitledOn Stranger Tides, the film has been announced by Disney, and in mid-November Marshallsaid he was doing the film. Now, it sounds like he’s not so certain.ComingSoontalked to the director, who said of the film:
That summer date is a few months later than we’d last heard, as producerJerry Bruckheimersaid at Comic Con last year that he wanted to be shooting by April or May. At this point, Marshall’s careful wording in that quote wouldn’t normally raise any red flags. But Disney has recently canned two films in rather public fashion (Wedding Bannedand20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) and when the company experienced someexecutive shakeupsearlier this yearJohnny Deppsoundedless than fully committedto anotherPiratesfilm.
All of which means nothing in any factual sense with respect toPirates 4; as far as we know, the movie is happening. But if further changes or delays take place, should you be surprised? No.
When Marshall was asked about the story, he said only “I would need a script first.” The lack of a script doesn’t mean much; Disney is six months away from getting this one in front of cameras, and if they’ve got a script two weeks ahead of time they’ll be doing better thanPirates 3. And this time Disney is reportedly building on theTim PowersnovelOn Stranger Tides, the plot of which is below.
Puppeteer John Chandagnac, bound for Jamaica to recover stolen money from his uncle, becomes Jack Shandy after pirates attack his ship and force him to join their crew. Shandy’s struggle to accept his new life grounds the story for readers, even as Blackbeard and vodun magicians whisk everyone away to dreamlike lands where the Fountain of Youth itself awaits. The chaotic sea battles sing, though at times key events happen so quickly that they get lost in the shuffle as Jack tries to comprehend where he’s going and what’s at stake.
