A new Johnny Depp film is headed to Disney Plus next month, and while it’s not one of the actor’s best films ever, it’s still one of his most seen.
On September 10th, the House of Mouse’s streaming service is adding 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides to its library. The fourth entry in the nautical action-adventure blockbuster series, it’s currently the only outing for Captain Jack Sparrow not on the platform—so fans will be pleased to see it return after disappearing from D+ last year.
Following the original trilogy—which consists of 2003’s The Curse of the Black Pearl, 2006’s Dead Man’s Chest, and 2007’s At World’s End—On Stranger Tides saw Depp reprise Jack once more, this time without Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley by his side as Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. Geoffrey Rush reappeared as Sparrow’s old frenemy Captain Barbossa, however. Penelope Cruz joined the franchise as Angelica, a love interest for Jack, while Ian McShane took on villain duties as Blackbeard, who’s searching for the legendary Fountain of Youth.
As helmed by Rob Marshall, replacing Gore Verbinski, On Stranger Tides was an enormous financial success, standing as the only entry in the Pirates saga to date to earn over $1 billion at the global box office. However, critics were cruel, as its paltry 33% on Rotten Tomatoes makes clear. Still, it’s not the worst-reviewed of the franchise, that’s its sequel—2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales—which has a RT score of just 29%.
It looks pretty certain that Johnny Depp has played Jack Sparrow for the last time, as Disney is moving forward with the Pirates brand, just without him. Two separate female-led projects are in the works. A reboot, which Karen Gillan has been attached to in the past, and a spinoff which Margot Robbie is set to produce and likely star in. Of the two, Robbie’s project seems to be the most developed. But, even though the original films weren’t always critical darlings, fans hold a lot of affection for them. So it might prove tough to replicate their popularity.
