The Pirates Of The Caribbean Movie That Made The Least Money In Theaters
The Walt Disney Company boasts numerous blockbuster franchises that have gone a long way in maintaining its place atop the Hollywood mountain. "Star Wars," the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Toy Story," and more stand out as some of its most recognizable properties despite the fact that other companies or individuals were responsible for their creation. On the other hand, there's the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, which came to fruition based on the Disney parks ride alone yet somehow defied the odds to become a cornerstone of the Disney brand in short order.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" welcomed viewers into the swashbuckling world of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his many friends and foes in 2003, spawning four sequels in the years to come. The most recent of which — "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" — arrived in 2017, and rumors continue to swirl that a sixth feature is on the way. Though the saga as a whole is a critical mixed bag, there's no denying that it has a knack for adding plenty of gold to Disney's treasure chest every time a new entry hits the big screen.
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise passed the $4 billion mark long ago, but one movie out of the five contributed significantly less to that achievement than the rest.
Curse of the Black Pearl unearthed a smaller treasure chest than the rest
When word of a "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie began to swirl in the early 2000s, many were understandably skeptical. Thanks to blunders like 1995's "Cutthroat Island" and the general lack of interest in pirate-themed media, the success of such a feature came into question prior to its release. When it inevitably premiered, however, most of those worries swiftly dissipated. "Curse of the Black Pearl" gave fans action, adventure, comedy, and an unforgettable Klaus Badelt score, and they absolutely loved it. The film earned nearly $655 million at the box office — the lowest gross of the series to date.
Even though "Curse of the Black Pearl" kicked off the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series in grand fashion, all of its sequels have financially outperformed it. Its direct continuation, 2006's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," blew it out of the water with a whopping $1.06 billion gross, followed by "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which earned $960 million, in 2007. Four years later, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" took in $1.04 billion, though 2017's "Dead Men Tell No Tales" came close to "Curse of the Black Pearl" when it took home $794 million (via The Numbers).
Overall, the fact that "Curse of the Black Pearl" is the lowest-earning "Pirates of the Caribbean" flick isn't a bad thing. It shows that interest in the franchise only grew since its inception and more people were willing to prove it with their wallets. Should we get more adventures on the high seas at the cinema in the coming years, it'll be interesting to see how they fare at the worldwide box office.