Summary
- Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is crucial for Disney's success, as previous attempts to replace it have failed.
- Other movies based on Disney rides, like Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion, have failed critically and commercially, shining an uncertain light on films of the same ilk.
- Despite dwindling critical reception, Pirates of the Caribbean continues to be highly lucrative for Disney, proving a sixth installment is needed.
ranking of Pirates of the Caribbean movies naturally differs for everyone, many would agree that the original trilogy by Gore Verbinski contained the franchise’s strongest installments. Although flashes of greatness were found in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, they did not quite match up to their predecessors.
Since then, the future of the franchise has been in doubt. A Pirates of the Caribbean 6's story. Regardless of what direction it takes, a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is a necessity for Disney, given the studio’s failure to find a worthy replacement in many different ways.
Disney Has Theme Park Ride Movies That Could "Replace" Pirates Of The Caribbean 6
Disney's Attempts At Recapturing Pirates' Success Continue
While Pirates of the Caribbean's critical reception may have dwindled, the franchise continues to be lucrative for Disney. As such, the House of Mouse is constantly trying to replicate this success by replacing the fading Pirates franchise with more theme park ride movies. Disney's list of movies contains several that are based on various rides and attractions scattered throughout Disney's parks, with each of them being positioned to act as Pirates of the Caribbean's replacement.
Disney's Theme Park Ride Movies |
Director |
Writer(s) |
Rides Based On |
|---|---|---|---|
Tower of Terror |
TBA |
Josh Cooley |
The Twilight Zone - Tower of Terror |
Space Mountain |
TBA |
Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec |
Space Mountain |
Big Thunder Mountain |
Bert & Bertie |
Michele and Kieran Mulroney |
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad |
Figment |
TBA |
Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit |
Journey Into Imagination |
Disney Has Really Struggled With Theme Park Rides Outside Of POTC
Disney's Previous Ride-Themed Movies Have Failed To Replicate Pirates' Box Office Strengths
Despite the many movies being developed to replace Pirates of the Caribbean as the leading movies based on Disney theme park rides, the studio's past indicates this may not work. Thus far, there have been several other movies produced that were based on Disney's various rides. The most recent was 2023's Haunted Mansion, which was a failure for Disney in both a commercial and critical sense. Haunted Mansion received a 37% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and earned a worldwide total of $117 million against a $150 million budget.
Two years before Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise was released. This film received a similarly poor reception commercially, grossing $220 million worldwide after a production budget of $200 million. That said, the critical reception of Jungle Cruise was slightly improved, with the film earning a 63% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes. Furthermore, 2015's Tomorrowland failed to recapture the Pirates of the Caribbean magic with a $209 million total gross against a $180-190 million budget and a middling Rotten Tomatoes score of 50%.
Concerning why Disney's replacements for Pirates of the Caribbean have failed, it could be put down to gaps in the market, or lack thereof. Pirate-themed movies are not necessarily the most popular in Hollywood, with Pirates of the Caribbean undoubtedly being the biggest. However, horror movies akin to Haunted Mansion are commonplace and often have more mature ratings than Disney allows to be more effective. Similarly, Dwayne Johnson's movies are visually alike from Jungle Cruise to Rampage and Jumanji, causing less need to view the former.
Every Disney Movie Based On Rides Ranked Worst To Best
Only a handful of Disney's dozens of theme park attractions have been adapted into feature films. Here is the complete list ranked from worst to best.
While there were also other ride-themed movies before Tomorrowland, Jungle Cruise, and Haunted Mansion, these three were the most recent. These productions came after the success of the original Pirates trilogy, which, combined, grossed a total of over $2.5 billion. Unfortunately for Disney, the studio has not been able to crack the code of movies based on theme park attractions as it did with the early Pirates of the Caribbean films, which means hopes for this to change in the future are ittedly slim.
Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Is One Of Disney's Biggest Live-Action Guarantees
Pirates Of The Caribbean Has Always Been A Lucrative Franchise
More than anything, these failures prove that Disney needs to make Pirates of the Caribbean 6, be it a reboot or a sequel. The reason for this stems from the almost guaranteed success of the franchise, which has continued throughout the 2010s. While many would agree the first three movies are the best regarding quality, the latter two installments did not wane at the box office as one might expect. Despite dwindling critical approval scores, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales were box office hits.
The Curse of the Black Pearl |
Dead Man's Chest |
At World's End |
On Stranger Tides |
Dead Men Tell No Tales |
|
Rotten Tomatoes Critical Score |
79% |
53% |
44% |
33% |
30% |
CinemaScore |
A |
A- |
A- |
B+ |
A- |
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides saw immense success at the international box office, grossing over $800 million to combine with a $200 million domestic haul that took the worldwide earnings to over $1 billion. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales also found overseas success, garnering over $622 million in comparison to a lowly $172 million domestically for a worldwide total of $794 million. Evidently, the franchise still has sway over international audiences, and Pirates of the Caribbean 6 would likely be no different.
Regardless of what direction the film goes in, Pirates of the Caribbean 6 must happen...
If the film could somehow recapture what made the first three so compelling, domestic numbers could also increase and combine with the continuously strong international box office draw. Pirates of the Caribbean 6 could do this either with the return of Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley as its leads, rehiring Gore Verbinski as director, or rebooting the franchise entirely to give it a fresh, unique feeling. Regardless of what direction the film goes in, Pirates of the Caribbean 6 must happen, given that any and all replacements Disney finds for it will not end well.
How To Watch The Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies In Order: Chronologically Or By Release Date
Pirates of the Caribbean is a huge Disney franchise that continues to expand, and here's the chronological order for the series to date.
- Created by
- Gore Verbinski, Jerry Bruckheimer
- Latest Film
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
- Cast
- Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario
A series of fantasy swashbuckler films produced by Disney, featuring the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow. Known for its supernatural elements, high-seas action, and iconic characters, the franchise has become a cultural phenomenon and was loosely based on the Disney theme park ride of the same name.
