When word of a “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie first started swirling in the early 2000s, many were understandably skeptical. Thanks to blunders like 1995’s “Cutthroat Island” and the general lack of interest in pirate-themed media, the success of such a feature was called into question before its release. When it inevitably premiered, however, most of those worries quickly dissipated. “Curse of the Black Pearl” gave fans action, adventure, comedy and an unforgettable Klaus Badelt score, and they loved it. The film grossed nearly $655 million at the box office, the series’ lowest grossing figure to date.
Even though “Curse of the Black Pearl” kicked off the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series in a big way, all of its sequels have surpassed it financially. Its direct sequel, 2006’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ blew it to a gross of $1.06 billion, followed by ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’, which grossed $960 million in 2007. Four years later, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” has grossed $1.04 billion, though 2017’s “Dead Men Tell No Tales” has come close to closing in on “Curse of the Black Pearl” when it grossed $794 million (via Numbers).
All in all, the fact that “Curse of the Black Pearl” is the lowest-grossing “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie isn’t a bad thing. This shows that interest in the franchise has only grown since its inception and more and more people were ready to prove it with their wallets. If we get more high seas adventures in theaters in the coming years, it will be interesting to see how they fare at the global box office.
