Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A pirate and a blacksmith must team up to rescue a kidnapped woman from a crew of pirates cursed by supernatural forces.
The story
In the early 18th century, Governor Weatherby Swann and his daughter Elizabeth sail aboard HMS Dauntless. They encounter a shipwreck and rescue a boy, Will Turner. Eight years later in Port Royal, Jamaica, a pirate captain named Jack Sparrow arrives seeking a ship. When Elizabeth is taken hostage by the pirate crew of the Black Pearl, Jack and Will must work together to rescue her. They discover the pirates are under a supernatural curse involving cursed gold. The trio must navigate the dangers of the high seas and the secrets of the Black Pearl to break the curse and save Elizabeth.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the early 18th century, Elizabeth Swann and her father are joined by Will Turner. Years later, in Port Royal, Jack Sparrow arrives seeking a ship. When Elizabeth is taken hostage by the crew of the Black Pearl, Jack and Will team up to rescue her. They learn the pirates are cursed by Aztec gold and become undead skeletons. They travel to Isla de Muerta to find the treasure. After a series of battles and betrayals, Jack and Will manage to break the curse by offering blood to the gold. Jack eventually becomes the captain of the Black Pearl, while Will and Elizabeth are left together. In a post-credits scene, Jack's monkey takes a coin from the cursed gold, becoming undead once more.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 143
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gore Verbinski
- Writers
- Ted Elliott · screenplay; Terry Rossio · screenplay; Ted Elliott · story; Terry Rossio · story; Stuart Beattie · story; Jay Wolpert · story
- Cast and characters
- Johnny Depp · Captain Jack Sparrow; Geoffrey Rush · Captain Barbossa; Orlando Bloom · Will Turner; Keira Knightley · Elizabeth Swann; Jonathan Pryce · Governor Weatherby Swann; Kevin R. McNally · Joshamee Gibbs; Zoe Saldaña · Anamaria
- Genres
- swashbuckler; action; fantasy
- Themes
- curse; sacrifice; identity
- Tone and mood
- swashbuckling; supernatural; adventure
- Setting
- 18th-century Caribbean, including Port Royal, Jamaica, and Isla de Muerta.
- Premise and plot tags
- pirates; treasure hunting; undead; kidnapping
- Source material / true-story basis
- Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disney theme parks
- Franchise connections
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film was a massive box-office success and received generally positive reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 79% · scale: percentage · review count: 216; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Screen Actors Guild Award · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role · 2004 · win; MTV Movie Awards · Best Male Performance · 2004 · win; Empire Awards · Best Actor · 2004 · win; British Academy Film Awards · Best Make-up/Hair · 2004 · win; Saturn Award · Best Costumes · 2004 · win; Golden Reel Award · Sound Editing · 2004 · win; VES Awards · Visual Effects · 2004 · win; People's Choice Award · Favorite Motion Picture · 2004 · win; Golden Globe Awards · Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy · 2004 · nomination; British Academy Film Awards · Best Actor in a Leading Role · 2004 · nomination; Academy Awards · Best Actor · 2004 · nomination; Academy Awards · Best Makeup · 2004 · nomination; Academy Awards · Best Sound Editing · 2004 · nomination; Academy Awards · Best Sound Mixing · 2004 · nomination; Academy Awards · Best Visual Effects · 2004 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was the first to be sold at the iTunes store.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…