Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 26 May 2017
‘Pirates of the Caribbean 5’

sails into new franchise waters

LINDSEY BAHR Bardem. than $2 million a month to
AP Film Writer “The actors have worked maintain.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cap- with Disney and Jerry for “People go through all
tain Jack Sparrow might be many years to make this kinds of weird stuff in the
a household name, but de- movie happen. One of the world,” Bloom said. “It’s just
spite the cultural clout, the things they were worried a shame that it has to be
“Pirates of the Caribbean” about was to bring real dragged out into the pub-
franchise has gone adrift. characters to the movie,” lic.” Producer Jerry Bruck-
In this image released by Disney, Johnny Depp portrays Jack In some ways, it’s been a said Bardem. “I think they heimer put the spotlight
Sparrow, left, and Kaya Scodelario portrays Carina Smyth, right, series of diminishing returns, brought a different heart back on the media.
in a scene from “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No and they’re not done yet. to it.” “Unfortunately the media
Tales.” As the fifth film, “Dead Men For Bloom, the lasting ap- kind of picks on certain
Associated Press Tell No Tales,” prepares to peal is simpler. people. And it was his turn
set sail Friday, it’s already “Everyone says, ‘Why do in the barrel,” Bruckheimer
facing a few hurdles, in- these movies still work?’ said. “He’s a fabulous guy
cluding a changed block- And I say, because six- and a great artist.”
buster landscape, a star year-old kids are doing Whether or not the fran-
with a diminished profile pirate performances. So chise will go on remains to
and a six-year gap be- it’s not like we kind of cre- be seen. Much of it likely
tween installments. ated anything particularly depends on Depp, and
In 2003 “Pirates of the new and spectacular — cast members were not
Caribbean: The Curse of although I think we did,” eager to imagine a “Pirates
the Black Pearl” washed Bloom said at the film’s Los of the Caribbean” without
ashore like a revelation Angeles premiere. him aboard.
— Walt Disney Studios While early buzz was good Despite all this, tracking
had made a good movie for “Dead Men Tell No suggests that “Pirates 5”
based on a theme park Tales,” critics have been could bring in around $80
ride, and created an icon- less kind in their full reviews. million in its first weekend
ic (and money-making) The Associated Press’ Mark in theaters — both a robust
character for Johnny Depp Kennedy called it a “wea- number and the second
in the process. Fourteen ry, battered fifth chapter” lowest of the series. But ulti-
years later things look quite that “lumbers into theaters mately the fate of the fran-
different. The films, which this summer high on CGI chise, and Depp’s box of-
have earned $3.7 billion tricks but with a hopelessly fice power, is in the hands
globally, got progressively muddled plot and recur- of the ticket buyers.
worse in quality, and, after ring characters basically “No matter how the critics
the second, “Dead Man’s running on fumes.” respond, it will be the mov-
Chest,” began to fall off “After this fifth episode, iegoers who have the ulti-
in domestic box office re- you’ll wish Disney would just mate power to make this
turns too (worldwide earn- declare the franchise dead film a hit and Johnny Depp
ings inched past $1 billion and tell no more tales,” could see a return to form
for the fourth, “On Stranger Kennedy wrote. after a series of box office
Tides,” however). Depp, too, following a disappointments and, un-
Disney has also become a string of flops and mis- fortunately, very publicly
different kind of studio, with steps, including “The Lone exposed personal issues,”
their pricey but profitable Ranger” and the univer- said Paul Dergarabedian,
acquisitions of Marvel Stu- sally derided “Mortdecai,” a senior media analyst for
dios and Lucasfilm, in ad- has been scrutinized for re- comScore. “The last ‘Pi-
dition to their recent suc- cent messy personal issues, rates’ film earned 77% of its
cesses transforming their including his divorce from theatrical revenue outside
animated classics into live- actress Amber Heard. of North America so it will
action blockbusters. In January, on the same be the international mar-
And yet, “Pirates of the Ca- day the pair finalized their ketplace that determines
ribbean” soldiers on, and divorce, Depp sued his whether the film will walk
“Dead Men Tell No Tales” former business manag- the plank or discover a
has some tricks up its sleeve. ers seeking more than $25 treasure chest of box office
With a fresh set of directors million accusing them of booty.”q
at the helm in Joachim grossly mismanaging his fi-
Ronning and Espen Sand- nances.
berg, the filmmakers have Depp’s ex-managers have
made a good effort to re- vehemently denied the
turn to the spirit of the first actor’s allegations, saying
film with a new, young cast they tried to warn the ac-
in Brenton Thwaites and tor that his spending on lav-
Kaya Scodelario, a return ish properties, vintage ve-
of both Orlando Bloom and hicles and other items was
Keira Knightley and an Os- to blame. They contend
car-winning villain in Javier Depp’s lifestyle cost more