Image Credit: Imago/ZUMAPRESS.com
The critics of Cannes have teeth as sharp as any pirate’s knife, which makes it a treacherous place for a big, juicy Hollywood popcorn flick like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Reaction was mixed as the movie played the festival Saturday, but Depp just chuckled and chummed the waters when asked if he feared their wrath. “Yeah, I’ve always feared the critics. They really scare me,” he cracked. “And that’s why we’ve come to Cannes.”
Despite scratches from a few reviewers, many noted improvement over the previous two movies, and there was palpable enthusiasm from the thousands of onlookers gathered around the Grand Theatre Lumiere for the premiere.
After the jump, see more photos from the red carpet, and hear from the stars as they reveal:
– Which family member doubled for the then-pregnant Penelope Cruz at the end of filming.
– How playing Barbies with his daughter helped Depp shape Jack Sparrow.
– And why Geoffrey Rush considers himself “the Liza Minnelli” of the returning cast.
Image Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
Penelope Cruz, who joins as Jack Sparrow’s bitter ex-lover Angelica, was pregnant at the start, and naturally grew bigger and bigger over the course of the three-and-a-half month shoot. By the end, there was no hiding it. So for some of those scenes where her full body is seen from afar — we don’t know which — it’s not her, but her lookalike little sister Monica.
“I did a couple of months in LA with the training, and they showed me some of the choreography and fights,” the elder Cruz told reporters. “Once we started, I was not able to do everything, just what was safe. They protected me every step of the way. … Then Monica came at the end, for one week and a half in London.”
Director Rob Marshall chimed in: “Towards the end we asked Monica to help us out with some of the wide shots and some of the long shots, where we needed, uh, a different silhouette.”
Image Credit: Kika Press/ZUMAPRESS.com
In last week’s EW cover story, Depp revealed he hadn’t watched Pirates 2 or 3, and was critical of the stories in those movies, saying he hoped the fourth installment would do better. At Cannes, he talked more about not watching completed versions of his own work.
“The only real drag of me not seeing the films that I make is that I don’t get to see other people’s work,” he told reporters. “I’m asking next time in my contract if I can have a version where I’m actually cut out of the film, but everybody else is in.”
Depp said he relies on his 11-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son to be his test audience, including as he rehearses characters like Jack Sparrow while playing dolls with them.
“My family, has seen more of my movies than I have. In fact a lot more. Including this one,” he said. “They’ve been angels through the process because I started out secretly testing characters on them to see how the reactions would be. When my daughter was little, we’d be playing Barbies and I would be doing these voices. Finally she just said ‘Stop,’ when she was old enough to.”
“They go see the movies and I can tell from their reaction if I did all right, or not,” he added. “They seem to enjoy them so far. I haven’t been fired by my kids.”
Image Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Along with Depp and Kevin McNally (who plays Sparrow’s first-mate Mr. Gibbs), the only other returning cast member from the previous films is Geoffrey Rush’s duplicitous Captain Barbossa, who has given up piracy (allegedly) for the life of a privateer commissioned by King George II.
He described the new Barbossa as, well … kind of a showman, fronting for his wealthy new benefactor.
“On the second day of shooting, there was a night shoot, and it was 3 o’clock in the morning,” Rush recalled. “Johnny, Kevin McNally and myself were lying on the ground on the edge of this cliff, overlooking the Spanish camp. Rob [Marshall] said ‘Look at you guys! It’s like Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr.!’ And Johnny just dropped into the most amazing impression of Sammy Davis Jr. Kevin McNally started singing a Frank Sinatra song … so I figured I must have been the Liza Minnelli.”
“It was a great note because I thought, ‘Working in the court of George II is a new thing, and maybe it’s like playing Vegas, where you have to go out there with a whole new energy.”
The same is true for playing well at Cannes, and for success in general when Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides opens May 20.
“Is it your normal Cannes fare? No, I wouldn’t say that,” Depp told reporters. ” Do I think the audience will like it? I think so, you never know. Somebody could’ve stepped on a rusty nail, had a bad day, a gas pocket. Who knows? I’m thinking people will like it.”
Anthony Breznican on Twitter @Breznican.
Did I read that right? He doesnt watch his movies? My respect for him fell so far. It’s the least he could do, at least out of respect for the crew he obviously sees as ‘beneath’ him.
Johnny’s notorious for never watching his films. He’s been saying it for years. When he attends premieres, he usually just does the red carpet for the fans and then leaves.
i like johnny depp because i thot Sleepy Hollow was good
Ill watch this film, i love his previous ones. Johnny Depp is my fave actor along with Leo D Caprio.
Another craptastic film to flood us!! tee-hee!!
Actors see their performances while the filming takes place. And they do scenes over and over. I’m sure they’re all pretty sick of it by the end. Depp’s said before that whenever he sees his performances, he’s uncomfortable seeing himself on screen and gets Monday morning quarterbacking syndrome. He’s also said in the past he eventually does see every film, it just takes him a while to be able to get the fortitude.
You’re misunderstanding why he doesn’t watch them. It’s not out of disrespect to other people or thinking it’s beneath him. He’s very uncomfortable watching himself on screen. Many actors are (Depp isn’t the only star to not watch his movies). It’s very similar to recording artists or broadway actors not listening to themselves on albums and cast recordings. Some actors just aren’t fans of themselves.
Very true. My band has recorded an independent record, and I although I care very deeply about how much work the other band members and our producer put into it, I simply can’t listen to it; the sound of my own voice bugs the hell out of me. Its the same kind of thing.
For many actors, the thrill is in the moment of creation, not assessing the work afterward. This is no different from stage actors. They can’t watch their own performances either.
Uh, stage actors can’t watch themselves because they’re on stage.
Uh, that’s what DFSF meant. Because they literally cannot see themselves, does that mean stage actors don’t value as much the work put into rehearsals and every performance by the other cast members and the crew? I don’t think so. And so thinking, Johnny Depp not watching his own movies is the same. And I think he did say that he was appreciative of the others b/c he says he wishes he could watch their work (to the total exclusion of himself.)
Yea ive read alot of actors dont like watching themselves cuz they tend to critize themselves too much.
I think it’s unusual for an actor not to watch his own movies. But it’s true that Depp reportedly hasn’t been watching his own movies.
A lot of actors can’t watch their own performances – it makes them self-conscious, which makes their acting suffer.
Another craptastic film to flood us!! tee-hee!
Bravo Johnny–love your comment about the critics! When critics applaud garbage like Fast and Furious, but have the gall to trash a movie franchise that millions of people around the world enjoy, not to mention one of the most iconic film characters in history, then I have no respect for them. My whole family can’t wait to see On Stranger Tides opening weekend. In response to the poster above, Depp is not the only actor that doesn’t watch his films. It’s not being disrespectful, it’s because actors often are critical of themselves up on the screen. If you have read anything about Depp, he’s one actor that takes the time to get to know everyone on the film crew and gives them all rather nice gifts when the film wraps. I wouldn’t view that as someone who feels that the crew is “beneath” him.
The Fast and Furious series and the Pirates movies are all garbage.
so you are saying that millions of people love garbage? it just can’t be!
Are you really comparing Johnny Depp & Geoffrey Rush to Paul Walker & Vin Diesel?
Lately, yes.
I havent looked this forward to a movie in a long time. I cant wait to see On Stranger Tides!!
What’s with the, “I don’t watch my own movies” crap? Is there anything more pretentious? It’s like he’s saying, “I’m so cool that I’m not even curious about something I’m staring in”. Why bother being in the movies? Having said that, I can’t wait for this Pirates installment!
he doesn’t watch himself because he’s not an egomaniac like so many other actors.
I think you’re misunderstanding that. He has always said that he doesn’t watch his own movies because he hates to see himself. It’s probably more out of insecurity than being pretentious. Try to get the whole story before deciding what the truth is.
I have a definite feeling that the wind is at Johnny’s back with pirate’s four. I would bet my last few pieces of eight that Johnny sails all the way to his third billion dollar movie regardless of what the critics say. Mark my words on this one maties!!!!!!!!!
Other obvious predictions; When you turn on the faucet, water will be wet. If it’s sunny and clear out, the sky will be blue.
Of course, this thing is going to make money. The question is whether it will be good or not.
Am I the only one who hasn’t been really excited about this movie? I love Johnny Depp and all, but this movie looks really campy to me, more so than the other ones, of course (I know they are intended to be to a point). The idea of G.Rush working for King George really turns me off. That said, glad to see the reviews weren’t all bad, and I’ll definitly see it, but my expectations are honestly not high.
Same here. I was only excited for the film when they were talking about including steam punk imagery in the final product, but apparently that was ditched.
At least they have zombie pirates…?
Ian McShane as Blackbeard seems pretty interesting, but the rest of the movie seems like a big “been there, done that”–3 times already!
It should have been either a one off movie or, as someone has said before, separate adventures. They had to try to turn it into a LOTR-style trilogy, which ruined it. I know this one’s different, but it’s hard to muster enthusiasm.
Anyone can assume that. But with the long overdue departure of Knightley and Bloom, I think it may actually be a pretty good film. It should have been the adventures of Jack Sparrow and crew to begin with, but with Disney’s propensity for wooing the “Twilight” crowd, the inevitable teen love couple got in the way. I see this as a clean slate and a genuine opportunity for the pirate film to actually become what it should have been, a film about pirates.
Monica Cruz really looks like Penelope. They could be twins. And when an actor watches himself on screen he doesnt tend to enjoy it as a viewer but will spend 2hrs critiquing every movement he makes-not fun.
She doesook like Penelope doesn’t she? I was wondering when someone was going to say something about this. If I looked like her, never mind the screen, I wouldn’t stop lookin at my self in the mirror; and I’m a DUDE.
I definitely think Pirates 4 will be much better than Pirates 3. Awesome new castmembers like McShane and Cruz, no Orlando Bloom, a new storyline…I’ve felt ever since they announced this movie that it would be more like the first movie. Kind of a rejuvenation for the franchise.
And am I the only person who liked the 2nd movie? Most people always lump it with the incomprehensible 3rd movie (I guess because it was a continuous story between the two), but I still think the 2nd was a lot of fun and a pretty good follow-up to the first.
I liked the 2nd one!!! But I also love Orlando Bloom so I can’t agree with you on that…
I haven’t been really excited to see this one- its nothing to do with not wanting to see it or anything…it’s just I haven’t payed attention. I will see it though!!!
Bloom gets too much hate for those movies because his plot was unfortunatedly tied with that of Keira Knightley who was the true stinker in these movies. Her performance and Braveheart speech in the third movie were Hall of Shame abomination for ages.
So now Johnny Depp, Gore Verbinski and J. Bruckheimer have all admitted that the last two Pirates movies didn’t even make sense to them both during the process of making them and as a finished product (if they ever bothered to watch them). Quick question, EW – can you ask one of them to refund the $ I spent watching them, as they pocketed millions cranking them out apparently without a single care about even the most basic standard of quality? Why should we now believe them when they say this new one is a better movie? How would they know if they don’t watch them?
the last couple of pirates movies completely bombed with the reviews.. wierd
Can’t wait..I am sure i will love it.
Why is PC’s hair short (the bangs) in some pics and all one length in the others? That’s an important question. I hope somebody has the answer.
As an actress/singer, it’s very hard for me to watch yourself because you always see the flaws, what could have been better. It’s impossible to be partial and it can sabotage your future work. Not all actors feel that ways, but some do. I don’t enjoy watching myself, it’s very stressful because I can’t see the whole, I can only see my flaws.
yeah, I have a couple national commercials out and everytime they come on I immediately change the channel. Clearly it was good enough to make it to air, but I always think I look stupid on screen
Depp used to be a respected actor. now he’s a franchise/paycheck actor like Tom Cruise, Nic Cage or *shudder* Vin Diesel. no one in the mainstream entertainment media has nerve enough to say it.
Actually, some of the reviewers of the latest film ARE saying that.