Now that all three of the planned Pirates of the Caribbean movies have come and gone (but before any possible sequels or spin-offs could be announced), Dreamworks has announced that they have their own little pirate movie in the works – the story of the legendary pirate, Blackbeard.
According to Variety, David Franzoni, who wrote Amistad and Gladiator for the studio, will pen Blackbeard, which delves into the life of British buccaneer Edward Teach.
The genesis of the project is a tale in itself. The idea for the project was first hatched when producer Barry Josephson (Enchanted) enlisted motivational speaker and former Philadelphia 76ers president/co-owner Pat Croce to make a cameo in his 2002 basketball film, Like Mike. Croce is apparently a bit of a pirate fan as he wrote “Pirate Soul,” a book that chronicled the golden era of piracy (which spanned 1690-1730) as well as the upcoming kids book “My Pop-Pop Is A Pirate.” Croce wrote a treatment for the film which he sent to Josephson in December of 2006. The pair later brought aboard Franzoni who began working on the pitch right after the writer’s strike ended.
Croce, who, interestingly enough, also owns a pirate museum in Key West, Florida, is collaborating closely with Franzoni on the screenplay.
Franzoni also recently completed a draft of Childhood’s End, based on the Arthur C. Clarke novel.
I don’t want to ruin this for anyone, but Blackbeard eventually dies a pirate’s death.
More pirates! Arrrrrrgggggg!
I’m all for it, especially from a write who did Gladiator and the amazing Amistad.
We should have a pirate day on the blog… where everyone has to talk like a pirate in their comments.
Wow, I totally love that idea.
Nice picture.
Arg!
Sweet!
The Trousered Apes last blog post..Who was Jesus of Nazareth? Parts 5 thru 10 of 10 with Dr. Craig
Weigh anchor, or I’ll give you a taste of the cap’n's daughter.
By the way, International Talk Like a Pirate Day is Sept 19. Add it to your calendars, Mateys!
Woo, September 19th!
Argg, yer talk like a pirrrrate or yee get me cutlass thru yer heart…
@Jina… We are offering up my daughter now?!?!?
It might be just me, but I’d never do well as a Pirate… I’d never be able to be on a ship full of men with them all calling me mate…
Should we call you Ninja Schwartz instead then?
@ Cap’n: If you’re not a pirate, then what are you a captain of?
Wait, will Jack Sparrow be in this one? Did he and Blackbeard know eachother? Cause that would be cool.
@Jina -still not sure what you’re offering
@Ana -the Cap’n is captain of all that is right and good.
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I marked International Speak Like A Pirate Day on my Outlook calendar at work and marked it “Needs Preparation.” I wonder how long it’ll be before my boss asks me about it…?
Arrggg, he’ll make yee walk de plank he will!
Jack Sparrow is ficitonal. Blackbeard was a real person. Unless Blackbeard had some really unusual psychic abilities to predict a Disney film starring Jack Sparrow, 300 years into the future, he couldn’t have even imagined it. They didn’t have cameras in 1718, much less film.