Pirates of the caribbean: at world's end - Disney

second and third ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ films. To survive these two years, it was about getting along
with others and being able to deal with constant change. A lot of people have come and gone on these
films…we’ve had over 4,000 people work on both movies, but there was a core group that stayed on the
whole time. These were films that could wear you out if you didn’t just focus and keep moving forward.”
Adds unit production manager Doug Merrifield, “Our crew are the top guns of the movie industry, the
best of the best. There’s a certain type of crew that you need to be able to pull off these big pictures, and
we certainly had that across all departments.” That, of course, included the cast. “It was a very physically
challenging picture, and it’s a long time over the course of two years to stay in character,” notes Merrifield.
“It’s been such a chunk of my life,” notes Mackenzie Crook. “It’s not just been a job, like other films
I’ve done. This is the ‘Pirates’ period
of my life, like my childhood, or
youth.” “It’s going to be like
breaking up with your girlfriend,”
said Martin Klebba incisively just
before he wrapped his role. “There
are no egos on set, everybody gets on
together, and it’s a really nice
working atmosphere,” adds Naomie
Harris. “With all of the special
effects and stunts, sometimes the
shooting was really tough, but the
nice thing is that everybody works
together as a team and pulls together
at those moments. It’s also nice to do a movie that my brother and sister, who are 11 and 7 years old, can
go to see and enjoy with the rest of the family. That means more to me than breaking box-office records.”
“Because I am a fan of the first and second ‘Pirate’ movies,” confesses Chow Yun-Fat, “working with
Johnny, Geoffrey, Keira and Orlando was just like a little child walking in dreams. Working with them
gave me great pleasure, and I was very, very happy.”
Adds Jack Davenport, “It’s been an odyssey, an experience that’s unrepeatable, the end of an era in
terms of filmmaking. It has a kind of ‘Apocalypse Wow’ factor. I think my greatest treasure on this job
has been watching the crew conquer the logistical and artistic demands. It’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen
in any group of filmmakers in my life.”
Once again, the actors had nothing but praise for their fearless leader, director Gore Verbinski.
“I honestly don’t know how Gore is able to be upright after all that he’s done,” says Johnny Depp of
his director. “Everything that he retains in his brain…it’s weird. The truth of the matter is that, as an actor,
you could almost not read the script at all and just rely on Gore. He’d never steer you wrong. He knows
exactly every point that needs to be made. He’s just a wizard. It’s shocking and mind-boggling what Gore
is capable of.”
“Gore is one of the greatest directors I’ve ever worked with,” proffers Bill Nighy, who should know,
after his long international career on both stage and screen. “Every actor on the film will tell you the same
thing. Nothing gets past him in terms of the authenticity of performance, and Gore knows that no matter
how many special effects, wonderful landscapes or ships, what it comes down to are two people
communicating. Not only can he spot what’s wrong, but he can really help you. I just can’t say enough
about him.”
“Gore never ceases to amaze me with the energy and focus that he has,” says Mackenzie Crook. “On
this, which must be one of the most complicated film projects ever undertaken, to make two incredibly
plot-and-character-driven movies simultaneously, so that some days we’d be doing a scene from ‘Dead
Man’s Chest’ in the morning and a scene from AT WORLD’S END in the afternoon, or vice versa, he at
all times knows what comes immediately before and after the scene you’re shooting, and where you
should be in the scene emotionally, even if you’ve forgotten…which I often did.”
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HAWAII FAREWELL