Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

The sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), it is the second installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.

Set one year after the events of The Curse of the Black Pearl, the film recounts Captain Jack Sparrow owing a debt to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), the ghastly captain of the Flying Dutchman, and being marked for death and pursued by the Kraken.

Meanwhile, the wedding of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) is interrupted by Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), who wants Turner to acquire Jack’s magic compass in a bid to find the Dead Man’s Chest.

Two sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl were conceived in 2004, with Elliott and Rossio developing a story arc that would span both films. Filming took place from February to September 2005 in Palos Verdes,

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, and The Bahamas, as well as on sets constructed at Walt Disney Studios. It was shot back-to-back with the third film of the series, At World’s End (2007).

Dead Man’s Chest was released in the United States on July 7, 2006 and, unlike its predecessor, received mixed reviews, with praise for its visual effects, direction, musical score, and acting, particularly Depp and Nighy’s performances, but criticism for its running time and plot.

The film broke several records at the time, including the opening-weekend record in the United States with $136 million, the fastest film to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office (63 days), became the highest-grossing film of 2006,

the 3rd highest-grossing film of all time at the time of its release, and was the highest-grossing film produced by Disney until it was surpassed by Toy Story 3 in 2010. The film received four nominations at the 79th Academy Awards (winning Best Visual Effects).

Despite also having a warrant, Commodore James Norrington resigned from the Royal Navy and disappeared after losing his ship, the HMS Dauntless, in a hurricane while pursuing Jack.

Meanwhile, aboard the Black Pearl, Jack is visited by Will’s father, Bootstrap Bill Turner, who is now a crewman of the Flying Dutchman, captained by Davy Jones.

He marks Jack with the Black Spot and reminds him that he previously bartered a deal with Jones to raise the Pearl from the depths in exchange for his freedom, a debt Jack failed to repay, and must now serve aboard the Dutchman or he will be dragged into Davy Jones’ Locker by the Kraken.

Meanwhile, revealing Letters of Marque intended for Jack Sparrow signed by King George, Beckett offers to free Will and Elizabeth in exchange for Will recovering Sparrow’s compass.

Will finds Jack and his crew on an island and helps them escape from cannibals. Afterward, Jack visits voodoo priestess Tia Dalma, who helps in finding the Dead Man’s Chest, which holds Davy Jones’ still-beating heart.

Jack intends to find it and free himself from Jones’ debt. Will makes a deal with Jack to find the key to the chest in return for Jack’s compass but is tricked into servitude with Jones’ crew aboard the Dutchman in Jack’s stead.

Jones agrees to free Sparrow from servitude if he can provide 99 more souls. Will reunites with his father, Bootstrap Bill, aboard the Dutchman and learns that Jones possesses the key through Liar’s Dice. Will escapes with the key and climbs aboard the Edinburgh Trader.

Jones summons the Kraken and sinks the ship, but Will manages to escape.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s father, Governor Swann, breaks her out of prison but is captured himself. Elizabeth steals the Letters of Marque from Beckett and makes her way to Tortuga, where she finds both Jack and a drunken Norrington.

Jack tricks Elizabeth into using his compass to find Jones’ chest. All parties arrive on Isla Cruces, where the chest is buried. A three-way sword fight breaks out between Jack, Will, and Norrington, who all want the heart for their respective goals:

Jack wants to call off the Kraken and negate his debt to Jones; Will wants to release his father from the Dutchman; and Norrington wants to regain his life as a Navy officer.

In the chaos, Norrington secretly steals the heart and the Letters of Marque before running off, pretending to lure away the Dutchman crew.

Jones and the Kraken attacks the Pearl, killing most of the crew and destroys all but one of the Pearl’s lifeboats. Jack uses the boat to briefly flee the battle but comes back to help wound the Kraken with a net full of gunpowder and rum.

Jack orders the survivors to abandon ship, but Elizabeth realizes the Kraken only wants Jack. Elizabeth tricks Jack by chaining him to the mast so that the crew can escape while the Kraken drags Jack and the Pearl to the depths.

Davy Jones, seemingly satisfied that Sparrow’s debt is settled, opens the chest to find his heart missing. Norrington gives Beckett the Letters and Jones’ heart, reinstating him back into the Navy as well as allowing the East India Trading Company to gain control of Davy Jones,

the Flying Dutchman, and the Kraken. Jack’s crew returns to Tia Dalma, where they agree about the possibility of rescuing Sparrow at World’s End.

Tia Dalma introduces the captain who will guide them: the resurrected Hector Barbossa.