Pirates 4 Wont Be All At Sea

Because it’s cheaper to shoot on land, apparently. Studio execs keen to cut costs on the sequel

According to The Los Angeles Times , Disney is desperately looking for ways to cut costs, which includes dumping a scene in which carnival acts would perform on a frozen River Thames, among others.

“In discussing the script for the fourth Pirates film, screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio were told that Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow character would spend more time on land than water because of the high cost of shooting on the high seas,” says the report. “To save more money, the number and selection of filming locations changed. Whereas the prior installments were shot in the Caribbean and Los Angeles, the upcoming production will be filmed primarily in Hawaii and London, where tax credits are more favorable. The number of shooting days scheduled is 90 to 95, down from 142 on the last movie. Similarly, there are expected to be 1,300 to 1,400 visual effects shots, compared with 2,000. Gone is one shooting location four hours north of London that would have required an overnight stay for the cast and crew. Instead, filming in London will save $3 million to $4 million.”

Maybe they should rename it Pirates Of Staines Resevoir?

Dave Golder
Freelance Writer

Dave is a TV and film journalist who specializes in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He's written books about film posters and post-apocalypses, alongside writing for SFX Magazine for many years.