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

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Working in a wide range of genres and budgets with many of today’s top talents, GORE VERBINSKI
(Director) is considered one of the most innovative directors of his generation. With seven feature films
to his credit thus far, Verbinski’s box-office success totals over $2 billion worldwide. The 2006 release of
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” not only grossed $1 billion around the world, but broke
many box-office records, including the first film to break the heralded $100 million barrier in 48 hours.
The opening film of this trilogy, “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” was released
in 2003 and went on to become one of the top-grossing films of that year, earning a number of Oscar ®
nominations, including a Best Actor nomination for Johnny Depp.
In between the first and second “Pirates” pictures, Verbinski directed the acclaimed comedy-drama
“The Weather Man,” staring Nicolas Cage and Michael Caine. The powerful opus about the elusive
contemporary American Dream, showcased Verbinski’s versatility. In 2002, Verbinski wowed audiences
with the hit thriller “The Ring,” which grossed over $250 million worldwide and made Naomi Watts a
household name.
Prior to his incredible film success, Verbinski was an award-winning commercial and music video
director. His inventive work in advertising for companies including Nike, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser
earned him a number of Clio awards. In 1993, he created the memorable Budweiser advertising campaign
showcasing croaking frogs. Along with commercials, Verbinski also has seen success in the music-video
world directing videos for bands such as Bad Religion and Crystal Method. In 1997, his work caught the
eye of Steven Spielberg who offered him his first feature film, the visually stunning family comedy
“Mousehunt.”
Verbinski is a graduate from the prestigious School of Theatre, Film and Television at UCLA and
resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.
Great stories, well told. They can be for audiences in darkened movie theatres or home living rooms.
They can feature great movie stars or introduce new talent. They can be true adventure, broad comedy,
heartbreaking tragedy, epic history, joyous romance or searing drama. They can be set in the distant or
recent past, an only-imagined future or a familiar present. Whatever their elements, though, if they begin
with a lightning bolt, they are stories being told by JERRY BRUCKHEIMER (Producer), and they will
be great stories, well told.
The numbers—of dollars and honors—are a matter of often-reported record. Bruckheimer’s films have
earned worldwide revenues of over $14.5 billion in box-office, video and recording receipts. In the 2005-
6 season he had a record-breaking nine series on network television. His films—15 of which exceeded the
$100 million mark in U.S. box-office receipts—have been acknowledged with 39 Academy Award ®
nominations, six Oscars ® , eight Grammy Award ® nominations, five Grammys ® , 23 Golden Globe ®
nominations, four Golden Globes ® , 53 Emmy Award ® nominations, 14 Emmys ® , 16 People’s Choice
nominations, 11 People’s Choice Awards, 11 BAFTA nominations, two BAFTA Awards, numerous MTV
Awards, including one for Best Picture of the Decade for “Beverly Hills Cop,” and 14 Teen Choice Awards.
But the numbers exist only because of Bruckheimer’s uncanny ability to find the stories and tell them
on film. He is, according to the Washington Post, “the man with the golden gut.” He may have been born
that way, but more likely, his natural gifts were polished to laser focus in the early years of his career. His
first films were the 60-second tales he told as an award-winning commercial producer in his native
Detroit. One of those mini-films, a parody of Bonnie and Clyde created for Pontiac, was noted for its
brilliance in Time Magazine and brought the 23-year-old producer to the attention of world-renowned ad
agency BBD&O, which lured him to New York.
Four years on Madison Avenue gave him the experience and confidence to tackle Hollywood, and, not
yet 30, he was at the helm of memorable films like “Farewell, My Lovely,” “American Gigolo” and 1983’s
“Flashdance,” which changed Bruckheimer’s life by grossing $92 million in the U.S. alone and pairing
him with Don Simpson, who would be his producing partner for the next 13 years.
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ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS