Pirates of the Caribbean 5 Is Headed for a Record-Breaking Opening

Pirates of the Caribbean 5 Is Headed for a Record-Breaking OpeningPirates of the Caribbean 5 Is Headed for a Record-Breaking Opening
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales proves the world still loves the seafaring franchise, even if the U.S. is starting to turn its back on the films. The latest installment, once again starring Johnny Depp as the rum-swizzling Captain Jack Sparrow, has earned about $62 million thus fa; though the number will climb higher by the end of the Memorial Day holiday, it will still be the lowest opening for the franchise since the first installment in 2002. However, the global figures are stunning, with the film raking in about $208 million worldwide, setting it on track to have the twelfth-highest overseas opening of all time.

That’s great news for Disney, which was recently faced with some curious setbacks on this film. There were reports that it had been stolen by hackers, who were threatening to upload the pricey film online, though Disney chief Bob Iger later confirmed that the would-be online pirates were actually just bluffing and hadn’t managed to steal anything.

There were also rumors that Johnny Depp’s off-screen behavior might have an impact on the movie’s bottomline. The erratic movie star has been under scrutiny lately for his financial lawsuits, recent divorce, and abuse allegations, with reports also surfacing that he was difficult to keep track of while filming the fifth Pirates movie. Studio execs reportedly worried that news of Depp’s behavior could impact marketing for the $230 million film; global audiences have proven it’s not the case. Plus, Depp committed himself to marketing the movie in whatever way possible, doing surprise appearances at both Disneyland and the Paris premiere to get fans pumped up.

Even though it didn’t do as well in the states, with fans showing signs of Pirates weariness, it still opened at No. 1, roundly walloping new releases like Baywatch, the comedy remake starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. The panned film (we’re talking a dismal 19 percent on Rotten Tomatoes right now) opened with $18 million this weekend and will scratch out $22 million by the end of the long weekend, per Box Office Mojo. Audiences just weren’t interested in watching the iconic red swimsuits ride again.

Baywatch opened at No. 3, nearly $2 million behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which has already been in theaters for a while and pulled in about $19.8 million this weekend. The Marvel installment is inching closer to the billion mark worldwide, which is extra good news for Disney, especially after rival studio Universal just saw its latest flagship film, Fate of the Furious, race past $1 billion this weekend. Hey, there’s some good box office news for Dwayne Johnson after all.

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