Jerry Bruckheimer Says: No More Two-Part Pirates Movies

So says USA Today:

Based on the Disney theme-park ride, the original three Pirates blockbusters ended up as a trilogy continuing the same key characters and story line. [Jerry] Bruckheimer saysOn Stranger Tides and future Pirates flicks will be stand-alone stories…

At test screenings of On Stranger Tides, “the audience told us what they loved about it is that it was fresh, it was new, it was a whole new story,” Bruckheimer said in an interview… “So that will carry over into the next one, too, to give it something fresh and different. As long as the audience embraces this one, we’ll certainly try to make another one. It’s really up to Johnny [Depp]. He loves the character.”

Wait… you mean PotC II and PotC III were supposed to be one coherent story?

Wel, you coulda fooled me. I was really looking forward to seeing how Jack would round up “nine-ty nine sooouls-sah” and whether he could do it in a way that wouldn’t make the other characters see him for the self-centered jerk he really is. That plot line never got followed up on.

Then there was the Elizabeth of II who had the guts and the cool logic to force Jack to make the sacrifice he never would have willingly, compared to the Elizabeth of III who feels sorry for everyone everywhere in a very unbecoming manner. I was really enjoying PotC II‘s villain Davy Jones, also known as the DEVIL tempting seamen with a way to cheat the retribution of Heaven; and was very disappointed with PotC III‘s villain Davy Jones, also known as the Grim Reaper who stood in a bucket, and I think we can all agree that on the scale of evil that’s a step down.

And into a bucket.

That said… I’m really looking forward to On Stranger Tides. Writers have recognized that Will and Elizabeth’s character arc is complete, and that nobody cares about them in the same way that nobody ever cares about the Lovers, they only care about Puck and the other Fools, even Shakespeare.

And if Captain Jack is our new James Bond of franchise cinema (globe-trotting, hairy-backed, riddled with venereal disease), then I say HUZZAH, SIR.

(via Bleeding Cool.)