With five films under its banner and a worldwide revenue of over $4.5 billion, Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is arguably one of the biggest commercial successes. The films have received widespread critical acclaim over the years, racking up countless accolades. Although the later installations in the series have failed to rouse critics as much as the earlier ones, they are still a hit among fans. The character of Captain Jack Sparrow, portrayed by Johnny Depp, has especially been a favorite among fans.
Although Pirates of the Caribbean was initially supposed to be a one-off film, its unexpected popularity made the producers turn it into a franchise. The sixth installment in the franchise is expected to be in the works for some time now. However, before news of its confirmation surfaces, people who might be interested in this franchise might want to know the viewing order, and this article will list the order of the films based on its release dates.
The five Pirates of the Caribbean films listed based on their release dates
1) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was the first film to be released. With a script that underwent multiple rewrites since 2001, the movie was directed by Gore Verbinski. The cast included prominent actors like Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Jack Davenport, and others.
The Curse of the Black Pearl introduces the much-loved character of Captain Jack Sparrow for the first time. The movie follows former pirate Captain Jack Sparrow as he sets off to recover his beloved ship, The Black Pearl. He teams up with Will Turner, a blacksmith, to rescue the girl he loves from the clutches of the cursed pirates led by Captain Barbossa atop The Black Pearl.
2) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was released in 2006, soon after the explosive reception of The Curse of the Black Pearl. Gore Verbinski reprised his role as the director similar to most of the central cast members, with Tom Hollander and Bill Nighy joining them.
Dead Man's Chest again follows Jack Sparrow in the spotlight as he fights against his fate of serving for life aboard the Flying Dutchman. Sparrow had an unsettled debt to Davy Jones, the captain of the Flying Dutchman, who had raised the Black Pearl from the depths of the ocean in exchange for his soul.
Will, Elizabeth, and Jack's crew come together to find the chest that holds Jones' powers and rescue Jack in the process. The arc concludes with the next installation of Pirates of the Caribbean, which was released a year.
3) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
After the success of its first film, Pirates of the Caribbean was greenlit for two more films to be shot back-to-back. At World's End marked the third film in the franchise and resumed the story of Dead Man's Chest. Verbinski held onto his role as director just as Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio reprised their job of working on the screenplay since the first film. No major additions were made to the cast.
At World's End continues from the end of Dead Man's Chest, with Jack and the Black Pearl lost to Davy Jones' Locker. Will, Elizabeth and Jack's crew team up again to bring Jack back from the locker. They also try their best to unite the Pirate Lords from the four corners of the world in the fight against Beckett and the East India Company, aided by Davy Jones.
4) Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides released in 2011, four years after the last film in the series. Rob Marshall replaced Gore Verbinski as the director, while Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio stayed on as the writers for the project. Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, and a few others reprised their roles, with prominent actors like Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, Sam Claflin, and Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey joining the cast.
Inspired loosely from Tim Powers' 1987 novel of the same name, On Stranger Tides sees Captain Jack Sparrow go on an adventure to find out the legendary Fountain of Youth. Jack teams up with his lover from the past, Angelica, and her father, the infamous Blackbeard, joining the race to seek out the fountain before other powers can get their hands on it.
5) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, aka Salazar's Revenge
Dead Men Tell No Tales is set 22 years after the events of At World's End and follows Henry Turner, the grown-up kid of Will Turner, as he tries to search for the Trident of Poseidon to break his father's curse. When Captain Salazar and his cursed crew are released from their bonds within the Devil's Triangle, they set out to seek revenge on Jack Sparrow, the pirate boy who had trapped them decades ago.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell no Tales, aka Salazar's Revenge, released in 2017 and is the last film in the franchise as of now. With the story by Nathanson and Terry Rossio, the film was directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg. Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario joined the cast, while regulars like Depp, Rush and Kevin McNaily reprised their roles.
New installations for the franchise have been reported to be in the works for quite some time now. According to Disney, the series is set to receive a sixth movie in the future, which is currently under development. Producer Jerry Brukheimer has also talked about the spin-off possibilities of the franchise in the foreseeable future. According to him, two different spin-offs are already in the works. This may mean that the Pirates of the Caribbean are yet to conclude their journey].