pirates of the caribbean - Cannes International Film Festival

“Even when Captain Jack and Barbossa are
on the same side,” notes Johnny Depp,
“they’re always on opposite sides somehow.
I always felt like these two characters bicker
like a couple of old housewives at a bridge
club, just picking each other apart by the
tiniest little morsel and detail. That’s how
Geoffrey and I have approached it from day
one, and he’s most definitely a worthy
opponent. Geoffrey is a fantastic actor,
who’s constantly investigating the possibilities of a scene. It’s always fresh, always new,
always interesting with Geoffrey.”
Geoffrey Rush adds, “Let’s just say that Jack and Barbossa think of themselves as an old
married couple. If these two could actually collaborate and not lock horns all the time,
they would be the most fantastic unstoppable team. But they’re worlds apart because
Barbossa is purely a strategic thinker, but not the brightest person, I should think. Jack
bobs along the river of life improvising, taking huge daring risks which always pay off for
him, even if he’s being blown from one ship to another. He always lands and ends up
looking like Bugs Bunny leaning against the
mast. And it will ever thus be so, so that’s a
really fantastic actorial dynamic to engage
with.”
Also returning to the “Pirates” fold, as classic
sea salt Joshamee Gibbs, is Kevin R. McNally,
now a veteran of all four “Pirates of the
Caribbean” movies. “When they came and
asked me to do another ‘Pirates’ film,”
McNally confesses, “I was surprised because all those years ago when we started, I
never for a moment thought we’d still be making them! It’s a real thrill, because it’s
very rare in features that you get a chance to revisit characters and have a look at them
again, particularly when you’ve got writers who are very keen to bring out some new
aspects to the characters and not just trotting out the same stuff time and again. It’s a
wonderful, exciting plot that Mr. Gibbs is involved with from the beginning, which is
really enjoyable.”
To portray the two younger leads of the story—the beautiful and enigmatic mermaid,
Syrena, and stalwart missionary, Philip Swift—Bruckheimer and Marshall, along with
U.S. casting director Francine Maisler and U.K. casting directors Lucy Bevan and Susie
Figgis, embarked on a classic worldwide talent search. Selected from thousands of
candidates were France’s Astrid Bergès-Frisbey and England’s Sam Claflin, both in their
early twenties and with some experience in their respective countries (Bergès-Frisbey,
~ 11 ~