Red Carpet: Pirates Of The Caribbean 2

In sweltering heat, Total Film is desperately trying to squeeze past some rabid Johnny Depp fans into the Odeon Leicester Square. The whole neighbourhood has been gripped by Pirates fever, with big screen displays, flaming torches and lots of ladies in ‘Mrs Depp’ t-shirts screaming “Jonnnnneeeeeeeeeeee!” everytime Jack Sparrow twirls his way onto the giant plasmas.

Depp paid his public back in spades for their screams and whistles, spending a good hour-plus working the crowd with his co-stars Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. While Depp and Bloom pelted past the gathered print-press, Knightley worked the media like a veteran.

“I loved the action sequences,” a clearly excited Keira told Total Film. “I wanted more of them. I was desperate to have a proper sword fight and I get one in this film. I did a lot of training and I swear the fights were much longer when we did them, so obviously I wasn’t very good at them and they didn’t give me any more!”

The Pride And Prejudice pouter refused to give us any juice on the third movie, with the cast re-assembling in August to complete the tentatively-titled Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End. “I’m not going to tell you anything, it’s a surprise.”

TF quizzed several more of the cast and got the same stonewalling. Jack Davenport, who plays Brit officer Norrington, said he couldn’t reveal a thing because “they’d kill me. The first movie was a laugh, this one is even more of a laugh but the third one is a little different. My character changes quite a bit too. There’s nothing quite like losing everything to help you sharpen your game, is there?”

Fellow Brit Kevin McNally was less guarded. “We go to a completely different part of the world and face a completely new rank of baddie, something special. We’re still dealing with Davy Jones in the film but there’s much more to it. We’re heading for Singapore to face something really evil, really nasty and if I told you any more, I’d have to kill you.” (We’ve had that joke, thanks…)

Then came the man they’re all scared of: Pirate kingpin and uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer. So why do they all fear you, Mr B?

“I’ve no idea,” he drawls. “It’s probably more a case of them not wanting to spoil the surprise of the third movie.”

Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl launched into cinemas in 2004, plundering plenty of acclaim and box-office loot – much of this down to the surprise factor of Johnny Depp’s deft touches as Jack Sparrow. So how does the producer keep delivering those surprises in parts two and three? “We pull the same talent together: the same writers, the same actors, the same director, that’s the key to success. The first movie entertained a lot of people, hopefully this one will entertain a lot more.”

The curtain is on the way up and Bruckheimer has to get to his seat, but we’re gagging to know – is there another of his movies he’d like to craft a sequel for? “Yes, National Treasure. We’re shooting in January with the same talent.” Managing to disguise out disappointment, Total Film lobs another one at him: Top Gun 2?

Bruckheimer’s mouth cracks open, revealing a neat set of pearly-whites.

“Nah. But I’d like to…”