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Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) backdrop
Franchise guide · by Marcus Reyes

Pirates of the Caribbean Movies: Every Film in the Series

The Pirates of the Caribbean movies are a five film Disney adventure series that runs from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), with a sixth film in development and no release date announced. Together the five films earned about $4.52 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, and Johnny Depp stars as Captain Jack Sparrow in every one of them.

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Image: TMDB

Every Pirates of the Caribbean Movie

How many Pirates of the Caribbean movies

What Are the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies About?

The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is a Disney adventure series about the pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, and the curses, sea monsters and rival crews that follow him across the Caribbean. It runs to five films released between 2003 and 2017, and it began as a theme park ride: the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction debuted at Disneyland in 1967, and the first film was based on it, according to D23. If you only know the series through the ride's boat trip past the skeletons, the films add a recurring ensemble and a story that carries across the first three entries.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), directed by Gore Verbinski, started it all. It premiered at Disneyland on June 28, 2003 and reached US theaters on July 9, 2003. The setup has Governor Swann and his young daughter Elizabeth pulling a boy named Will Turner from a shipwreck, then jumps ahead to Port Royal, where the cursed crew of the Black Pearl, led by Captain Barbossa, carries Elizabeth off because they need the medallion she wears. The film earned $654 million worldwide on a $140 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo and The Numbers, and it received five Academy Award nominations, according to D23.

Verbinski also directed the next two films, and Screen Daily reports that they were shot back to back. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), directed by Gore Verbinski, arrived in US theaters on July 7, 2006, according to D23. Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company breaks up the wedding of Will and Elizabeth, Jack learns that he owes a debt to Davy Jones, and a monster called the Kraken is coming for him. The film won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects and grossed $1.07 billion worldwide, the highest total in the series. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), directed by Gore Verbinski, opened in the US on May 25, 2007, according to TMDB. Jack is trapped in Davy Jones' Locker, and Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth and Tia Dalma travel to Singapore to ask the pirate lord Sao Feng for the charts that lead there. At 169 minutes it is the longest film in the series, and its $300 million budget is the largest.

The franchise then changed directors. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), directed by Rob Marshall, opened on May 20, 2011 and moves the story to around 1750, when Britain and Spain are racing to find the Fountain of Youth. Jack ends up aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of Blackbeard (Ian McShane), where he meets Angelica (Penélope Cruz), a former love who is also Blackbeard's daughter. Keith Richards appears as Captain Teague. Its international gross of about $806 million is the highest overseas figure of the five. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), directed by Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning, premiered in Shanghai on May 11, 2017 and reached US theaters on May 26, 2017. Javier Bardem plays the undead Captain Armando Salazar, Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario play Henry Turner and Carina Smyth, and Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley return as Will and Elizabeth. It earned $796 million worldwide on a $230 million budget.

Where were the Pirates of the Caribbean movies filmed? Principal photography on the first film ran from October 9, 2002 to March 7, 2003, and Dead Man's Chest shot in Dominica and the Bahamas. Production on Dead Men Tell No Tales began in Queensland, Australia in February 2015, at Village Roadshow Studios, according to Screen Daily. On Stranger Tides was shot with 3D cameras, according to Computer Graphics World.

The music changed hands too. Klaus Badelt scored the first film, Hans Zimmer scored the next three and Geoff Zanelli scored the fifth, and you can follow the tracks on the pirates of the caribbean soundtrack page. For the money side, the pirates of the caribbean box office page breaks down budgets and grosses film by film. The pirates of the caribbean timeline lays out the story in sequence.

Still from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

What Is the Order of the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies?

The Pirates of the Caribbean movies play in the same order whether you watch by release date or by story, so the sequence is simply the five films from first to last. The full pirates of the caribbean movies in order guide covers both lists and where to begin.

  1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
  2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
  3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
  4. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
  5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

Why does the order matter so little for the calendar and so much for the story? Because the first three films hand a single plot from one to the next. Dead Man's Chest sets up the debt Jack owes Davy Jones and the Kraken that hunts him, and At World's End opens with Jack stuck in Davy Jones' Locker while Barbossa, Will and Elizabeth sail to Singapore for Sao Feng's charts. Screen Daily reports that those two were shot back to back under Gore Verbinski, and in my opinion you can feel it, since the second film leaves threads that only the third ties off. Treat them like consecutive episodes of one television season.

The Curse of the Black Pearl is the opposite case. Its story is self-contained: the Black Pearl's attack on Port Royal, Elizabeth's medallion and the chase to get her back all resolve inside 143 minutes. That makes it the one film you can watch alone, and it is where I would send anyone with a single evening free. At World's End runs 169 minutes, 26 minutes longer than the first film, so plan the middle of the run accordingly.

On Stranger Tides (2011), directed by Rob Marshall, is a deliberate reset. It jumps to around 1750 and a race for the Fountain of Youth aboard Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge, and it was shot with 3D cameras, according to Computer Graphics World. Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), directed by Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning, sends Henry Turner after the Trident of Poseidon and brings the Turner family thread back, so it rewards viewers who watched the first three. It is also the shortest of the five at 129 minutes.

Watching all five back to back takes 728 minutes, which is 12 hours and 8 minutes, based on runtimes of 143, 151, 169, 136 and 129 minutes. It could be argued that the fourth film is the easiest to skip, because its plot does not depend on the earlier ones, but you would lose Jack's reunion with Barbossa as a Crown servant. To decide which of the others to add after the first film, see the pirates of the caribbean movies ranked page.

Is Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Happening?

A sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film exists only as a project in development at Disney, with no announced cast, release date or greenlight. Everything below comes from remarks by producer Jerry Bruckheimer and from press reports, and the pirates of the caribbean 6 page follows each change as it happens.

What has Bruckheimer actually said? On March 26, 2024, he described the next installment as a reboot, according to NBC News, though he offered no studio announcement behind it. Then, at Disney's D23 event in August 2026, he told reporters that the team is talking with Johnny Depp and working on a screenplay, according to TheWrap and Gulf News. A script still in progress suggests cameras are a long way off. Gulf News also names Bruckheimer as producer and Jeff Nathanson as writer, but both credits are reported, not confirmed.

Two further stories are unconfirmed. Depp has said he is open to one more film to "send them off on a better note", though he has not said he has signed anything. And in 2020, Disney was reportedly developing a Margot Robbie led reboot alongside a sixth film in the original line, before Robbie said in 2022 that the studio had lost interest in a female led film. Since nothing has been filmed, the pirates of the caribbean 6 trailer page can only point you to videos from the five released films.

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Pirates of the Caribbean 6: status, cast and rumors

Who Are the Main Pirates of the Caribbean Characters?

Pirates of the Caribbean characters

The main Pirates of the Caribbean characters are Jack Sparrow, Hector Barbossa, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann and Joshamee Gibbs, plus a new villain in most films. The full pirates of the caribbean characters page gives each one a profile, and the pirates of the caribbean cast page covers the people behind them.

Jack Sparrow is the center of the series, and Johnny Depp played him in all five films, billed first every time. Barbossa is played by Geoffrey Rush, who leads the cursed Black Pearl crew in the first film and is billed in four of the five, as Barbossa. Orlando Bloom plays Will Turner and Keira Knightley plays Elizabeth Swann in the first three films, and both return in Dead Men Tell No Tales, billed 14th and 15th. Kevin McNally, as Gibbs, is billed in all five films alongside Depp.

The villains rotate. Bill Nighy plays Davy Jones in Dead Man's Chest and At World's End, with Tom Hollander as Cutler Beckett. Ian McShane plays Blackbeard in On Stranger Tides, and Javier Bardem plays Captain Salazar in Dead Men Tell No Tales. Their ghost crews and ships connect to the series' rules about the sea, which the pirates of the caribbean ships and pirates of the caribbean curses pages go through.

Pirates of the Caribbean Music: Composers and Songs

Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack

  1. Hoist the Colours

    Written for the film

    Brendyn Bell, The Singing Gallows Pirates · Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

    A young boy sings it in the opening as pirates are led to the gallows, and a larger chorus takes it up later in the film.

  2. Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)

    Licensed song

    Elizabeth Swann (character) · Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

    Young Elizabeth sings it on the ship in the opening scene, and she sings it again later on the island where she is marooned with Jack Sparrow.

  3. Maggie Mae

    Licensed song

    Paul McCartney · Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

    Paul McCartney, as Jack Sparrow's Uncle Jack, sings a traditional Liverpool song in a prison scene.

Facts

  • Still from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
  • Still from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
  • Still from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
  • Still from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
  • Still from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

Where to Watch Pirates of the Caribbean

All five Pirates of the Caribbean movies stream on Disney Plus in the US, the UK and Australia, based on availability data checked on November 3, 2026 from JustWatch via TMDB. The where to watch pirates of the caribbean page lists every service by country and film.

If you prefer to rent or buy, the US lists Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. The UK lists Apple TV, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video and Sky Store, with YouTube also offering purchases, and Australia offers purchases only, through Apple TV, Amazon Video, YouTube and Fetch TV. Availability changes often, so check the film you want before you settle in.

Every film carries a PG-13 rating in the US, 12A in the UK and M in Australia. After the films, you can browse the pirates of the caribbean reviews for our verdicts or the pirates of the caribbean merchandise page for collectibles. The how many pirates of the caribbean movies page holds the full film list.

Still from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

Streaming availability data from JustWatch. Where to watch Pirates of the Caribbean by country.

Explore Pirates of the Caribbean

FAQs

Did Johnny Depp play in all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies?

Yes, Johnny Depp played Jack Sparrow in all five Pirates of the Caribbean movies, from The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), and he is billed first in each one. Whether he returns for a sixth film is unconfirmed: Gulf News reports Depp said he is open to one more film, and Jerry Bruckheimer said at D23 in August 2026 that the team is talking with him.

Where were Pirates of the Caribbean filmed?

The Pirates of the Caribbean movies were shot in several places, including Dominica and the Bahamas for Dead Man's Chest and Queensland, Australia for Dead Men Tell No Tales. Principal photography on The Curse of the Black Pearl ran from October 9, 2002 to March 7, 2003, and production on Dead Men Tell No Tales began in February 2015 at Village Roadshow Studios. On Stranger Tides was shot with 3D cameras.

What are the five Pirates movies?

The five movies are Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Dead Man's Chest (2006), At World's End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). Gore Verbinski directed the first three, Rob Marshall directed the fourth, and Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning directed the fifth. There are no spin-off films.

Is Pirates of the Caribbean 6 a thing?

A sixth film is in development, but it is not confirmed for release. Disney has announced no cast, release date or greenlight, and Jerry Bruckheimer said in August 2026 that the team is working on a screenplay and talking with Johnny Depp, according to Gulf News. In March 2024 Bruckheimer also said the franchise would be rebooted, according to NBC News.

Why did Orlando Bloom quit Pirates?

Orlando Bloom did not leave the series for good. He played Will Turner in the first three films and returned in Dead Men Tell No Tales, where he is billed 14th. He is not among the 15 top billed cast of On Stranger Tides, which follows a new story with Jack, Angelica and Blackbeard. No confirmed reason for that absence is on record, so anything beyond the casting is speculation.

How many Pirates of the Caribbean movies are there?

There are five Pirates of the Caribbean movies and no spin-offs, released between July 9, 2003 and May 26, 2017 in the US. A sixth film is in development with no announced date.

Which Pirates of the Caribbean movie made the most money?

Dead Man's Chest made the most, with $1.07 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. On Stranger Tides came next at $1.05 billion, followed by At World's End at $962 million, Dead Men Tell No Tales at $796 million and The Curse of the Black Pearl at $654 million.

Is Pirates of the Caribbean based on a ride?

Yes, the film series is based on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland, which debuted in 1967, according to D23. The first film, The Curse of the Black Pearl, premiered at Disneyland on June 28, 2003.