Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 3D fantasy action-adventure film. It is the fourth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and stars Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Stephen Graham, Gemma Ward and Richard Griffiths.
In Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too
The film was first announced in September 2008, and principal photography started in June 2010. Unlike the previous films, which were shot primarily on location in the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides had most of its production in Hawaii.
The plot draws inspiration from the novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers, which is the same novel that inspired the LucasArts game, The Secret of Monkey Island. The plot features Captain Jack Sparrow, again played by Johnny Depp, searching for the Fountain of Youth and confronting the pirate Blackbeard.
It is also first in the series to be directed by Rob Marshall and not Gore Verbinski. The film is to be released in Disney Digital 3-D and IMAX 3D, as well as in traditional two-dimensional and IMAX formats. It will be the first Pirates of the Caribbean film to be released in 3D and Jerry Bruckheimer’s second 3D film, following the 2009 film G-Force.
Shortly before the premiere of At World’s End, Jerry Bruckheimer stated it was the end of the trilogy, but the idea of a spin-off was still possible. After the film’s successful opening weekend, Dick Cook, Chairman of Walt Disney Studio Entertainment, said he was interested in a fourth installment. On September 25, 2008, during a Disney event about upcoming films at the Kodak Theater, Cook and a Johnny Depp in full Jack Sparrow costume announced that a fourth Pirates movie had been put into development.
In June 2009, Jerry Bruckheimer stated Disney would prefer the fourth installment of Pirates be released before The Lone Ranger film, which he, Johnny Depp, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio had been working on. He also hoped Gore Verbinski would return to direct after his BioShock film adaptation had been put on hold. Rob Marshall entered negotiations to direct in August 2009, and was confirmed as the director on November 17, 2009.
Hollywood Elsewhere announced a possible steampunk flair in the fourth installment. On September 11, 2009, at Disney’s D23 convention, the title was announced as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.