Universal Secures Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise, Debuts Ride at Universal Studios Amid Disney “Breakup”
in Disney Parks, Universal Studios
Posted on by Alessia Dunn1 Comment
Did Universal just add Pirates of the Caribbean to their theme park?
Pirates of the Caribbean is one of those attractions at Disney Park that feels like it is a must-ride and a staple for many guests to experience while on their vacations. Considering Walt Disney himself worked on the original ride in Disneyland, there has always been something magical for fans when they get to sail through the epic pirate cannonball battle scene or coast through the burning village.
Of course, things really picked up for the Pirates of the Caribbean lore in 2003, when Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl was released.
Many Pirates of the Caribbean fans who believed that Disney was solely responsible for the $4.5 billion swashbuckling franchise might be surprised to learn that Universal, Disney’s competitor, played a much bigger role in the film’s development than they might have imagined.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is one of the few instances where Disney developed an attraction with an original storyline that became so popular, the House of Mouse decided to turn it into a movie. We saw this happen with other attractions like Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and currently, there are films in the words for Tower of Terror (which already does have a movie based on the ride’s storyline), and Space Mountain.
That being said, no ride-turned-movie franchise at Disney has ever seen the same success as Pirates of the Caribbean.
Knowing that Pirates has been a Disney creation through and through, many would be surprised to hear that you can actually have a Pirates of the Caribbean experience inside of Universal Studios Hollywood.
At Universal Studios Hollywood, guests can enjoy and experience the Universal Studio Tour, which will take them on a one-hour tour through some of Universal’s sound stages and back lot sets. While some sets have been preserved, there are many that are still functioning today, which gives the ride a really fun Hollywood experience.
For example, sets from the Universal movies Psycho, Back to the Future, Nope, The Sting, The Great Outdoors, and the Paramount/DreamWorks film War of the Worlds are visited in the tour. That being said, Universal is not the only company to use their backlot, others will pay fees to use the space as well, including Disney.
Walt Disney Studios has also used the backlot for movies such as the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, 101 Dalmatians, 102 Dalmatians, and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, specifically for town scenes.
You can actually see part of the set from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest when you are on the tram tour! Thanks to Universal HIGH, we now know precisely when and where to look to catch a glimpse of the location.
“If you look backwards on the Studio Tour when pulling into the Earthquake attraction, you can see the bar set used as Tortuga in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ (2006) 🏴☠️”
If you look backwards on the Studio Tour when pulling into the Earthquake attraction, you can see the bar set used as Tortuga in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ (2006) 🏴☠️@UniStudios pic.twitter.com/1o03iLWedH
— Universal HIGH🌎 (@HighUniversal) August 20, 2024
There is a giant water reservoir on the Universal backlot with a massive green screen as well, which Disney has also utilized for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
What’s Going On With Pirates of the Caribbean 6?
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has recently been mired in controversy, with fans boycotting any future developments due to Johnny Depp’s departure.
Depp’s status in Hollywood, though recently questioned by many due to his legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, is undeniably well-earned.
He gave a poignant performance as the misunderstood Edward Scissorhands (1990) in Tim Burton’s classic. Depp ventured into another fantastical world as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland (2010). He brought his eccentricity to life as Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), another collaboration with Burton. Depp’s portrayal of a struggling writer in Finding Neverland (2004) adds a heartwarming touch to the tale inspired by Peter Pan’s creator. And those films are just a small part of his impressive resume.
As many fans of the franchise know, Disney decided to remove Johnny Depp from all future Pirates of the Caribbean films, despite his leading role. Disney made this decision prematurely, aiming to distance themselves from Depp due to the abuse allegations made by his ex-wife Amber Heard, even before any verdict was reached.
In hindsight, if Disney had maintained their loyalty until the verdict was delivered, they might have retained their lead actor, a key fan base, and a future for the franchise, since Depp was not found guilty.
Rumors have circulated that Depp might return to the franchise, despite his previous statement that he wouldn’t come back for a sixth film, even for $300 million. At one point, a female-led version of the film was considered, with Barbie (2023) star Margot Robbie potentially taking on the role of a new “Jack Sparrow,” but that project has since been shelved.
Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed that the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film is in development, with a script already written. However, he mentioned it would be a full reboot, as Disney is not waiting for everyone’s schedules to align before starting production. It seems Disney plans to restart the franchise with an entirely new cast, meaning Pirates of the Caribbean 6 may not even be a “sixth” film but the beginning of a new legacy.
Disney is, however, expanding Pirates of the Caribbean in their parks without Jack Sparrow with their new lounge, which will have a backstory of fictional characters only.
Did you know that Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed at Universal?
