As part of the lead-in to yesterday’s reveal of the trailer to next summer’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Walt Disney Pictures held a special event at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, offering contest winners the chance to be the very first to view the trailer and to spend the day celebrating in the park.
The event had fans turning out in droves, many dressed in their finest high-seas vestments to fit the occasion, matched by Disneyland Cast Members who led the crowd first into the AMC theater in Downtown Disney for a double-helping of the trailer and then to the center of the park for a special swearing-in ceremony to join the park’s pirate crew. Docked directly across from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride, a band performed sea shanties and fired cannons to celebrate the brand new crew.
Joining the crowd was director Rob Marshall, who chatted with ComingSoon.net about the event and his upcoming film. Following Gore Verbinksi’s original trilogy is no small challenge, but his take offers a return to the world of Captain Jack Sparrow with a brand-new storyline that features the villainous Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and a Penelope Cruz as the pirate Angelica, a romantic foil to Sparrow.
“The story takes us to some different places,” Marshall explained, “which makes it nice that it’s not the same old thing. The whole opening and the first third of the film takes place in London. So we start on dry land and there is an impostor that Jack is looking for. He then escapes from the palace, gets captured by King George and there is a huge carriage chase…[W]e set sail and that is sort of the second act. It’s a new ship, Blackbeard’s ship, the ‘Queen Anne’s Revenge.’ Then Barbossa has a new ship called the ‘Providence.’ The third act is this incredible jungle adventure through caves where they are looking for the Fountain of Youth.”
Depp isn’t the only cast member of the original trilogy to make a return, however. Geoffrey Rush will reprise his role as Captain Barbossa, now in service to the King.
“[H]is character is different in this film,” said Marshall, “because he has joined a different side… which is really shady.”
Citing “Pirates” as his favorite ride since childhood, Marshall also promised that there will be two specific nods to moments within the classic theme park attraction, though fans will have to wait until May 20th for a chance to spot them on the big screen.
In the meantime, click here for a gallery of 103 screenshots pulled from the new trailer!
