$654M Blockbuster That Made Johnny Depp a Global Icon Turns 22

Johnny Depp played the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on this day exactly 22 years ago!.

Before he donned the red bandana and that iconic hat, Johnny Depp hadn’t quite reached the peak levels of his fame.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl became a $654 million movie when it was released on July 9, 2003, in the U.S.

(and June 28th for the rest of the world).

Directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley in leading roles, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl dominated the global box office since its debut in theaters.

Well, the movie has now turned 22 years old, and I feel a bit old now.

But aside from the sad truth of life, Johnny Depp earned quite a lot of fame (and money) for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, despite not watching his own movies.

Johnny Depp’s Salary from Pirates of the Caribbean and Other Subsequent Blockbusters

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Johnny Depp was paid a total of $10 million when he portrayed the role of Captain Jack Sparrow for the first time in Curse of the Black Pearl.

Johnny Depp in a still from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | Credits: Walt Disney Pictures.

However, that was just the start of Johnny Depp’s career in Hollywood as the actor went on to receive better roles and bigger paychecks after the 2003 film.

For Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, the actor earned a base salary of $20 million and, with backend points, reached a total sum of $60 million (the film was a roaring success).

For a fee of $18 million, Depp appeared in the role of Willy Wonka in the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and worked alongside Tim Burton for a second time (the first being Sleepy Hollow).

His career went on to go upwards with millions to his name by taking backend deals.

Depp would receive a lump sum of money when the film was a success at the box office, which brought him a total net worth of $300 million from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise alone!

Naturally, the actor essentially redefined cinema with his iconic character.

How Captain Jack Sparrow Redefined Cinema

Captain Jack Sparrow wasn’t your average good guy who saved the damsel in distress and found the Black Pearl in the end (he did find it, but not in a simple way).

Jack Sparrow was much more than a hero and a villain… he was an anti-hero.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow | Credit: Walt Disney Pictures.

Winning countless awards and being nominated for even more, Captain Jack Sparrow was supposed to be an ordinary character until Johnny Depp decided to develop it his way.

Notable Awards & Nominations For Captain Jack Sparrow

Category

SAG Award
Male Actor in a Leading Role (Won)

MTV Movie Award
Best Male Performance (Won)

Empire Award
Best Actor (Won)

People’s Choice Award
Favorite Male Movie Star (Won)

Academy Award
Best Actor (First Oscar Nomination)

Golden Globe Award
Best Actor (Nomination)

Critics’ Choice Movie Award
Best Actor (Nomination)

Saturn Award
Best Actor (Nomination)

However, these awards and nominations Johnny Depp received when he portrayed the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (until At World’s End).

Captain Jack Sparrow was a hero with moral ambiguity.

He would fight with the heroes and then betray them to the villains.

He would fight with no honor and tell people not to trust him.

“And a dishonest man, you can always trust to be dishonest.

Honestly, it’s the honest ones you want to watch out for.

Because you can never predict when they’re going to do something incredibly… stupid,” said Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Curse of the Black Pearl, and the world fell in love with him even more.

Being more of an anti-hero persona, Jack Sparrow was a person that you hated to love, and it was thanks to Johnny Depp’s acting skills that the Pirate genre was reinvented.

The character quickly became a fan favorite, and Johnny Depp solidified his career as an iconic actor.

But more important than that, he redefined cinema with his drunken swagger and slurrish speeches as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Do you think Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow is overhyped or justified? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is available to stream on Disney+ (USA).