Critics be damned, it looks like Disney has another hit on their hands withPirates of the Caribbean 5. Johnny Depp is back as Captain Jack Sparrow and audiences around the world are as eager to see him as ever, as the latestPiratesadventure looks like it is going to clean up this weekend at the box office. While there is a wide gap in projections, it looks likePirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Talescould be taking in as much as $285 million globally thisMemorial Day weekend.
According toDeadline,Pirates of the Caribbean 5could bring in anywhere between $230-$285 million globally for the four day weekend. That is a pretty wide margin from the low end to the high end, but if the movie can do anything in the $250 million range worldwide, that would be ahuge win for Disney. The last movie in the franchise,Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, came out six years ago and opened to $175 million internationally. So things arelooking good for Disneythis time around, even on the lower end projections.
Domestically,Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Taleswill look to be following suit, as the movie will be making the bulk of its money overseas. Currently, the movie is projected to make around $85 million over Memorial Day weekend, which would put it well below the domestic opening weekend grosses forPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest($135 million) andPirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End($114 million). Though, it will be close toPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides($90 million) if it hits projections. However, box office tracking hasn’t been as reliable as it once was, soPirates 5could wind up surprising and taking in north of $100 million domestically. If that winds up being the case, the movie could be looking at a $300 million worldwide opening.
Critics andfans still love Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack SparrowandPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which is the first in the series and by far the lowest-grossing. It is the only movie in the franchise to be certified fresh, with a 79 percent approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the decline in quality, at least critically speaking,Pirates of the Caribbeanhas proved to be a very financially viable series for Disney. Still,Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Talescurrently sits at a very poor 35 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and one can’t help but wonder how much this movie might make were it as critically well-liked as the first installment.
Disney’s only real competition this weekend comes in the form ofBaywatch, which has also been lamented by critics, but is looking like it could pull in as much as $40 million over the four-day weekend. Beyond that,Alien: Covenantis heading into its second weekend andGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2will be winding down in its fourth frame, so the seas should be clear for Johnny Depp to once again reign supreme at the box office.
