This 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of the masterpiece that is, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the swashbuckling adventure based on one of Disney World's most popular attractions, Pirates of the Caribbean. Hollywood is no stranger to adapting various mediums into big blockbuster films, but one based on a theme park ride was uncharted territory, especially for the biggest entertainment corporation in the world.

A gamble for Disney would pay dividends in the end, as The Curse of the Black Pearl would go on to gross more than $650 million in the US alone and jumpstart one of the most profitable movie franchises in recent history. The first film would spawn four sequels, cumulatively earning over $4.5 billion in worldwide box-office. It was not just financial success that followed the movies, but fan and critical acclaim as well, most notably for the original three films.

While each Pirates movie offers something new and exciting, it was truly The Curse of the Black Pearl that set the bar for each film that followed. Taking the world by storm in the summer of 2003 and enduring for the next two decades. The film was selected as one of the films to get a rerelease in theaters during Disney's 100-year celebration, speaking to how beloved it is. As The Curse of the Black Pearl comes close to its rum-drinking age, let's take a look back.

Update November 15, 2023: This article has been updated with more reasons why Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl has remained popular twenty years later.

Right Place, Right Time

Film history is filled with epic franchises, sprawling stories, and timeless characters. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl landed at a time when Peter Jackson's Middle Earth and the Star Wars prequel trilogies were wrapping up. It also set to sea before the Marvel Cinematic Universe ruled the box-office tides. Nowadays, we are treated to a new superhero or Star Wars project every few months, both in theaters and on streaming platforms. Movies come out much closer together, and the suspense factor of waiting to follow up on your favorite characters is all but dead.

What Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl offered audiences something new and fresh. The '40s and '50s had their fair share of pirate-themed movies, and who could forget the classic '90s movie, Muppet Treasure Island. But it was a subject not represented terribly well in film, certainly with its fair share of ups and downs. It was known as a genre that produced bombs like Cutthroat Island. Prior to 2003, the pirate genre had not had a quality representation on the big screen in decades. That all changed with the release of this inaugural entry into the franchise.

"Casting" Your Way to Success

Not only did Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl set into motion the story of the franchise, but it also introduced us to some of the most memorable characters ever put on screen. Brought to life by the power of the pen and the incredible acting performances given, an impeccable cast helped kick off this voyage. We all know the actors cast and unfortunately not cast in these iconic roles and the incredible way they brought to life these parts. For a film that received much acclaim and praise, casting directors Jennifer Alessi and Ronna Kress deserve ample amount of credit for putting together a cast as robust and entertaining as the one in this film.

Related: Pirates of the Caribbean: 10 Iconic Jack Sparrow Quotes

The casting begins and ends with Johnny Depp and the timeless character of Jack Sparrow, sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow, whom he helped create. He is truly the centerpiece of the franchise, and it all began in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He is the charming, comedic, fearless, and oftentimes, egotistical Captain.

Joined in the movie by Orlando Bloom, acclaimed actor Geoffrey Rush, and making her debut in the action-adventure genre Keira Knightley. It is this quartet of actors that would help the movie achieve the success it did, and carry the original trilogy to the heights it would ascend to. In addition to them are several smaller roles, such as Norrington, played by Jack Davenport, Mr. Gibbs, played by Kevin McNally, and the duo of Ragetti and Pintel, brought to life by actors Mackenzie Crook and Lee Arenberg. These actors truly make the characters they play feel real and authentic.

Genre-Bending at its Best

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is based on a great adventure and comedy script that tunes perfectly to a Disney sentiment. At least, in its first act, when it's just a pirate movie with swashbuckling and stupid military personnel trying to fight the rebels of the sea. Knightley is a great comedic performer, and she does great in the first half of the film.

However, the film does take a dark turn. Once skeletons and ghosts start showing up, the film drifts heavily into horror territory, and the kids that would have fun on the theme park ride surely wouldn't have fun by watching ghostly images of pirates walking on the ocean floor. That image stayed with tons of people.

After that, the film does a great job at going back and forth between horror and adventure while maintaining a good dose of humor on the side. Director Gore Verbinski stayed true to the film's unique spirit while observing the Disney rules that had to be followed. This playful tone of the film sharply resembles the effect of the theme park ride, where visitors navigate in murky water and through cold rooms where ghosts reside. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is far from being a horror film, but it has enough of a scare factor to make genre buffs celebrate.

Did Something Different

Before it was released, everyone expected Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl to bomb. Even Disney CEO Michael Eisner did not have faith in the movie as, after seeing a cut of the movie said Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow was "ruining the movie". Pirate films were box office poison. Yet Pirates of the Caribbean succeded by being different.

The same tone and style that would launch the MCU, and even something as odd as Guardians of the Galaxy, is present in Pirates of the Caribbean. It takes a classic genre but doesn't play it straight. Instead, it embraces being weird. This movie does not feature a traditional leading man hero; Jack Sparrow is a scoundrel. The villains are not after buried treasure; they are looking to bury an ancient curse. The film is filled with humor that was a shot in the arm the genre needed and moviegoers embraced. There is a reason Pirates of the Caribbean outperformed far more self-serious blockbusters that summer, like X2: X-Men United, The Matrix Reloaded, Hulk, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

This is a lesson Hollywood fails to learn time and time again. Audiences embrace something new and want something new. The oddities that swing for the fences like Guardians of the Galaxy, Avatar, or Barbie, are the ones that tend to be hits.

The Test of Time

A lot has happened since the movie's release. After the initial trilogy, two additional films were released to varying success. Leading man Johnny Depp has seen his fair share of scandals, and talks about the franchise continuing or being rebooted with younger actors have been on and off for years. One of the theories is that it could go the same way as other Disney franchises: a series. Whether this is a good idea or not, all we can say is that if it does happen at some point, Johnny Depp should be involved. He's still the face and spirit of the franchise.

Related: 20 Best Fantasy Adventure Movies of All Time

Despite all of this, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has stood the test of time. It remains as spectacular as it was 20 years ago and is the type of movie that fans will be talking about twenty years from now. Its score is reminiscent of adventure. Its effects mix horror and family-friendly adventure in the right doses. And its characters are truly the thing that made it an engaging film about a Disney ride during a time when pirate movies seemed to be dead.

It was groundbreaking, fun, and very exciting to experience in the cinema and nothing like it has been done ever since. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl is an iconic film and as much a part of the Disney legacy as Mary Poppins.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl can be streamed on Disney+.