The Plot Thickens...

Walt Disney Pictures has released the plot of their fourth Pirate film...

In a press release, the Mouse has given us a little more information about the story of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" for fans to mull over till next summer:

Walt Disney Pictures'/Jerry Bruckheimer Films' Comedy Adventure "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" in Disney Digital 3D(TM) Begins Production.

Johnny Depp returns to his Academy Award(R)-nominated role of Captain Jack Sparrow, joined by Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Kevin R. McNally, Astrid Berges-Frisbey and Sam Claflin in Fourth Entry of Blockbuster Franchise..

Production has commenced on location in Hawaii, the United Kingdom and Los Angeles on Walt Disney Pictures' and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' sweeping comedy adventure "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," directed by Rob Marshall ("Chicago"), the fourth entry in the blockbuster franchise which has already reaped $2.7 billion in worldwide box office from the previous three films, and the first to be filmed and presented in Disney Digital 3D(TM). Johnny Depp
returns to his iconic, Academy Award(R)-nominated role of Captain Jack Sparrow, newly joined by Academy Award winner Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona," Rob Marshall's "Nine"), Ian McShane (HBO's "Deadwood") and newcomers Astrid Berges-Frisbey and Sam Claflin. Also rejoining Johnny Depp and Captain Jack are Academy Award-winner and three-time nominee Geoffrey Rush ("Shine," "Shakespeare in Love") and Kevin R. McNally (first three "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, "Valkyrie"). The film is slated to open May 20, 2011.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" captures the fun, adventure and humor that ignited the hit franchise --this time in Disney Digital 3D(TM). In this action-packed tale of truth, betrayal, youth and demise, Captain Jack Sparrow crosses paths with a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz), and he's not sure if it's love--or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.

Rush reprises his role as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa, and Kevin R. McNally returns as Captain Jack's longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs. Claflin stars as a stalwart missionary, while Berges-Frisbey is transformed into a mysterious mermaid.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" is written by "Pirates" veterans Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio. The executive producers are Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, Barry Waldman, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio and John DeLuca.

Joining Bruckheimer and Marshall for the new voyage is a top-flight group of award-winning behind-the-scenes artists, including director of photography Dariusz Wolski (first three "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland"), production designer John Myhre (two-time Academy Award(R) winner for Marshall's "Chicago" and "Memoirs of a Geisha"), costume designer Penny Rose (all three "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"), visual effects supervisor Charles Gibson, who won an Academy Award for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," Oscar(R) winner and eight-time nominee special effects supervisor John Frazier ("Pirates of the Caribbean" films," "Pearl Harbor") and stunt coordinator George Marshall Ruge, who also devoted his talents to the previous three "Pirates" films as well as Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer's "National Treasure" franchise. The editors include two Oscar winners, Michael Kahn ("Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time") and David Brenner ("Born on the Fourth of July"), as well as Wyatt Smith (Marshall's "Nine").

Rob Marshall's first three films, "Chicago," "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Nine," have been honored with a total of 23 Academy Award(R) nominations. For his work on "Chicago," winner of six Oscars(R) including Best Picture, Marshall received the Director's Guild Award, an Oscar nomination, a Golden Globe Award(R) nomination, a BAFTA nomination The National Board of Review Award and the New York Film Critics Online Award. A six-time Tony Award(R) nominee and George Abbott Award winner, Marshall's extensive work on Broadway includes co-director and choreographer of the worldwide award-winning production of "Cabaret" and director/choreographer of the Broadway revival of "Little Me," along with many others. He also produced, directed and choreographed the NBC television special "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," which earned seven Emmy Awards(R), including three for Marshall, and directed and choreographed Disney/ABC's critically acclaimed movie musical "Annie," which received 12 Emmy nominations with two wins, including Marshall for Outstanding Choreography; it also won the prestigious Peabody Award.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" will film on the islands of Kauai and Oahu, Hawaii, followed by locations and studio work in the United Kingdom and Los Angeles.

Can't wait for the trailer...

A Riddle Wrapped In An Enigma...

There's a lot of talk going on about the next Batman film and who should be the villain...

Everyone is trying to figure out who could possibly top the performance of Heath Ledger's anarchist Joker. I think it's being approached from the wrong point. If you want to know who has the best chance of being a fly in Batman's ointment, wouldn't it be good to go to the source? Or at least understand where that source is coming from? With that said, I'll just say this... the man that is most likely going to write the next Batman film is Jonathan Nolan, the screenwriter of "The Dark Knight" and brother of the film's director, Christopher Nolan. Now if he is going to be the man behind the typewriter or keyboard, then his taste come into play, so couldn't/wouldn't what he's interested in inform us as to the direction he could take? The choices he would decide on...

Riddle me this: Who is Jonathan Nolan's favorite Batman villain?

I'll give you a hint. It's not the Joker, Penguin or Catwoman. Need another hint?

If so, you're trying way too hard...

The Plot Thinkens, Or Didn't...

The way a film comes together is interesting. The way a Pixar film comes together is fascinating...

When animated movies are made they start off in storyboard phase and then sometimes move to animatics (moving storyboards with temp dialog and music). At the Lamp this has been refined to an art based on the final result of their ten films. Lots of preliminary art is done, plot lines are worked, reworked and spit back out. Check out that piece of art by Lou Romano for an early version of Charles Muntz. He also produced an earlier version of the long lost explorer that Carl Fredricksen idolises, holding an egg that held within it the germ of an earlier version of the story.

MTV's Movie Blog has a nice article about that version of the film before it got streamlined. A version that held more layers inside this wonderful story. That's one of the many great things about Pixar: the fact that within the story you can find hidden pages that tell an even deeper tale.

But perhaps one that will never, fully be told...

NOTE: Am I seeing things or does that earlier pic of Charles Muntz look like Walt Disney?

Word On The Street...

I know there's a great deal of buzz(pun NOT intended) about the article in the Wall Street Journal that supposedly revealed the plot of Toy Story 3. Well, they didn't really disclose much more than what was already known...

From what my sources tell me, the WSJ is close but they've got the chronology a little mixed up. All I can say...