Locus Online News: Powers Novel Optioned for New Pirates of the Carribean Movie.
Yup, so it now seems that PotC4 “On Stranger Tides” is indeed going to be based on the Tim Powers novel, and not simply sharing the title. Which I think entirely sucks – On Stranger Tides is a very specific story utilizing a very specific set of characters, none of whom strike me as a shoe-in to be replaced by Jack Sparrow. Plus, if Disney has to start the planning phase of this fourth film by bastardizing a prexisting work, I just don’t see how it indicates they have the creative fortitude to do make for a decent end product.
Of course, all this might change anyways since Johnny Depp is hinting that he might not be up for a fourth film anyways, so maybe it’s a moot point.
Sad. The book is brilliant. Any hacking with it by the Disney writers will be just that. Hacking.
BTW, we just beat the Guiness Book of World Records for “The Most Pirates In One Place” at the Portland Pirate Festival.
Disney creatively bankrupt? This is news?
Oi, before y’all bury Disney as villanous thieving dogs, I would like to tactfully remind all that 99% of ALL movies are based on prior works, including Disney. Ya know, fairy tales, fantastic adventures, kid’s classics? Remember Treasure Island, 20.00 Leagues under the Sea? Disney didn’t dream those up on their own either, but they were great movies. In Search of the Castaways was one of my all time favorites as a kid. I’m actually pretty excited that they are taking a good book and adapting it….in my opinion they’ve done okay with that in the past.
For the record, Amazon, no one is accusing Disney of stealing anything. Word has it they’ve bought the rights to On Stranger Tides, fair and legal. And even had they not, titles aren’t subject to copyright anyways. What offends me is that too much of the world already views Jack Sparrow as the end all, be all of pirates. He was a brilliant creation in the first movie and decent in the second two. But he’s moved into pirate festivals, renfairs, music videos, and even non-jack sparrow pirate characters invariably look more like Jack Sparrow than they don’t. It’s already too much. And now this particular franchise appears to be moving in to commandeer pre-existing works.
On Stranger Tides is about Jack Shandy and Blackbeard, not Jack Sparrow and Barbossa. It’s speculation at this point to suggest that the “creative” forces at Disney are choosing assimilate this great book into their waning PotC franchise because they lack the inspiration to make a worthy story on their own, but it’s speculation that sits on a small but growing pile of evidence, and it all makes me sad for On Stranger Tides, and annoyed with Disney.
And when Disney made Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues, etc, they did so with the clear message that these were adaptations of the books. They didn’t rewrite them to star Disney’s own preexisting characters, and leave 99% of the audience to assume this was original Disney material. Wanna take bets as to whether the promo posters will read “Tim Powers’ On Stranger Tides” vs. “Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” – dollars to donuts, it will be the second.
Feels way too soon to condem them. I do agree, the evidence is mounting, but the end product hasn’t even become a script yet. Lots can happen. Lots.
I already thought the first stoll a lot of neat ideas from On Stranger Tides. I don’t know – maybe they’ll go with the characters as written, and try to spin-off another trilogy or something…
Anyway, Tim Powers’ book is marvelous, and if it get s criminally under-appreciated author more exposure, let’s celebrate that at least.
Seeing as it was Johnny Depp himself who made the announcement of the fourth movie at the D23 convention in Anaheim, I’d say that his involvement is a pretty sure thing.
His announcement came before the exit of Studio Head, Dick Cook, and Johnny had expressed concerns after that departure. Disney has come out and said rumors of Depp’s departure are unfounded, but there is no denying his displeasure with the loss of Dick Cook as the studio head, he made a number of very public comments. However, it does seem he is in for Pirates 4.
Hmm. I’m just hoping right now that the grafting of what is, by all accounts, a fine story onto whatever script they’ve got for Pirates 4 results in a better plot than the second and third movies. Also that this makes Power’s book easier to find…I want to read it, dash it all! 🙂