Even with Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean’s budget trend proves Disney must go back to square one

Johnny Depp returning to Pirates of the Caribbean 6 it wouldn’t be a cure-all – the Disney franchise’s box office trends prove it must return to basics. Other Pirates of the Caribbean the sequel has been confirmed, but almost everything is still up in the air with this project. The big question on everyone’s mind is whether or not Depp would return to the project, with the common sentiment being that the film won’t be successful without the star. However, another factor from the previous Pirates of the Caribbean the films must be brought back into the game if a sixth film is to rescue the franchise.

Of course, Depp’s return to play Jack Sparrow is an important first step. It’s becoming increasingly clear that fan outcry would be intense if the actor wasn’t restored to his iconic role, especially considering Disney’s public firing of Depp, which led to his defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard. Still, it cannot be denied that the Pirates of the Caribbean the franchise was in trouble long before all this. Film box office numbers have been trending downward since the second film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Ironically, as Disney’s budget increased, performance declined even further.

Disney’s lowest-budget Pirates of the Caribbean films performed best

The higher the budget, the lower the performance

Critically, the best performance Pirates of the Caribbean film was Curse of the Black Pearlwhile the biggest box office profit came from the sequel, Dead Man’s Chest. From here, things got worse. Critics had fewer and fewer good things to say about each installmentand at the time Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales was released in 2017, Disney’s domestic box office gross reached $173 million. This result was especially disappointing since the budget for this film was a considerable $230 million (via The Numbers).

Disney’s losses in Dead men tell no stories becomes ironic when considering the fact that the Pirates of the Caribbean the films the company spent the least on performed the best. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is considered the best in the franchiseand only required a production budget of US$140 million. The film’s success inspired Disney to take things to the next level with Dead Man’s Chestand they were rewarded with a phenomenal domestic box office haul of $423 million. Unfortunately, continued budget increases have not produced the same results.

Later Pirates of the Caribbean films went overboard with CGI and special effects

More expensive does not necessarily mean better

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl it certainly featured heavy CGI and special effects, but the film didn’t rely on it from start to finish. Villains were just skeletons in the moonlight, which meant characters like Barbossa could appear normally human most of the time. Davy Jones, on the other hand, required extensive CGI for every moment he was on screen. This was effective for a movie, but going into At the end of the worldthis character was frankly expensive, but much less interesting to audiences after so long.

Of course this was not the end of the Pirates of the Caribbean expensive franchise ideas. Disney seemed to be trying to outdo itself with each episode, and while the result was some visually stunning moments, ships sailing through desert sand or more villains requiring endless CGI intervention just didn’t compare to the film’s simplicity. The Curse of the Black Pearl. Now, as Disney tries to get back into this franchise, This budgetary trend should demonstrate to the company that going back to basics can be a much more effective strategy.

Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Going back to basics would only help with the nostalgia factor

The new film should look similar to The Curse of the Black Pearl

THE Pirates of the Caribbean movies were at their peak, at a time when Hollywood was really spreading its wings along the path of movie magic. Technology has come a long way in a very short time and we have reached the point in the 2020s where it is no longer surprising to see unimaginable things directly on our screens. What is much more impactful today is the nostalgia for archaic technology. When watching Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the outdated CGI is part of the charm.

Disney certainly won’t get away with a budget of just $140 million to Pirates of the Caribbean 6. However, it would be extremely beneficial for the company to look at stories and concepts that can be managed in the most practical way possible. The film won’t be able to hide behind exaggerated CGI—needs a gripping story, a lovable cast, and a campy, nostalgic feel. HopefullyDepp will also be included in this equation, but it’s even more important that Disney remember everything that made the first Pirates of the Caribbean very successful films.