The original film is considered a classic and spawned five sequels, which I’m sure is intriguing to Depp. It would be nice to slur his way through the same character constantly without having to slip into a pirate costume to do so. The reboot is being planned as a Sherlock Holmes-esque update that will mix high adventure with the iconic characters. Rob Marshall will direct, so expect a little song and dance as well.

No word on who will play Nora or the couple’s dog. (Deadline)

6 photosDaphne Joy

Screenwriter Terry Rossio already turned a draft of Pirates 5 to Disney. (CinemaBlend)

The Fountain of Youth offers an easily digestible myth with a clear set of rules. They have to get a mermaid’s tears, two chalices and find the cave. Blackbeard (Ian McShane) needs to get there before the prophecy of his death is fulfilled. See, that makes so much more sense than the last film.

It’s definitely better to have a new adventure with new characters. Dead Man’s Chest and At Worlds End tried so hard to give everyone something to do, they just made a mess of it. Now there’s some new discovery. Angelica’s (Penelope Cruz) history with Jack (Johnny Depp) implies greater stories that went on before. Every character, new or returning, gets the best dramatic introductions.

More Sword Fighting And Flowy Shirts In New 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Trailer

Blackbeard is way better than Davy Jones. The subtle look of burning embers in the black beard is more impressive than the squid face, and he’s a real hardcore pirate. The young stud priest Phillip (Sam Claflin) and the hottie mermaid Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) are minimal, as Will (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) should have been.

There’s not enough Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush). He’s following behind Blackbeard’s crew, so we only get to check in with him now and then. But Keith Richards has the best line and a way better cameo this time.

The action is smaller in Tides and that’s better. It’s more about using the environment creatively, not having a giant spectacle. Tides gives each thrill its own space. You get a lot more out of a palm tree catapult, a complex palace escape, or Ponce de Leon’s cabin.

The film retains the Pirates magic, on a more intimate scale. Blackbeard’s powers string his crew up in the masts. See, you don’t need barnacle faces and hammerheads to make movie magic. Mermaids are creatures we already understand so they spark our imaginations on a gut level, both beautiful and monstrous. Dew drops defy physics, so they’re obviously visual effects but it’s subtle.

The 3D even looks better than any other forced 3D blockbuster. They emphasize the open space in scenes like the palace escape. You can definitely see the layers in the ships’ ropes and masts, or jungle paths. Fire looks fantastic in 3D and they even stick some swords in the audience’s faces.

This is how they should keep making Pirates movies. The first one was magical. We’ll never get to see Johnny Depp create a character like that for the first time again, but you don’t need to come up with bigger and more convoluted ideas. Just think of more creative situations to throw at Jack Sparrow, and let Depp work it out.

“John and I are overjoyed at the idea of working with Johnny again, especially on such a classy and classic project.  We are also thrilled to be partnering this time with such wonderful producers as Christi Dembroski and Kevin McCormick, and we are looking forward to working with Warner Bros. to create a reinvention of a beloved story.”

That’s right – a remake of a beloved movie from the early 1930s is as “classy and classic” as it gets. No word yet on who will step into the oversized and slightly tipsy shoes of the original Nora Charles, Myrna Loy. Maybe Johnny Depp could play both parts?

Directed by Rob Marshall, On Stranger Tides stars Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Penelope Cruz as Lady McPirateberg, the boobiest pirate of them all. There’s also Ian McShane‘s Blackbeard, who is totally not cool, you guys.

On Stranger Tides pillages theaters May 20, 2011 in 3D, IMAX 3D and RegularVision 2D.

This Pirates seems to be chock full of everything that we haven’t seen in previous Pirates films. They even capitalized on the whole zombie phenomenon. This could have been intentional or the writers received a mandate to work everything ever into the film. The fourth time around you have to do that. Let’s just hope they keep it under five hours long. Kids can only take so much convoluted plotline.

Dame Judi Dench has signed on for a cameo in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Not surprisingly, Latino Review is reporting that Dame Judi will play a noblewoman.

Director Rob Marshall asked Dench to play a cameo role in which Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) escaped into a carriage with a noblewoman (Dench). As Sparrow used his charm, he also managed to rob her.

This entire “carriage of a noblewoman” setup is very reminiscent of a scene from the classic 2005 adult film, Pirates, staring Jesse Jane and Evan Stone. Will Dench be in the running for AVN’s “Best New Starlet” award this year? Only time will tell.

Seeing dollar signs in all things faaaaaaabulous, Universal is moving forward with a film adaptation of the Broadway musical hit Wicked. The movie will take the Wicked Witch of the West back to high school, where she is terrorized by the popular Glinda the Good Witch.

The studio is taking meetings with a few directors, ranging from the awesome to the willing to make this kind of movie. First up, The potential directors are JJ Abrams, James Mangold, Rob Marshall, and "Glee’s" Ryan Murphy. I really don’t see Abrams hopping aboard this one due to his busy schedule of not sucking. The other three seem more well-suited for the material, given their experience with bringing musicals to film. I did notice that Universal has seemed to overlook Adam Shankman. He’s probably sitting somewhere crying his eyes out over this snub. But in all fairness, he cries while watching "The Bachelorette." (Deadline)

Director: Rob Marshall

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench

Synopsis: Famous film director Guido Contini struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother.