Why Gore Verbinski is done with Pirates of the Caribbean

Gore Verbinski directed the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but in spite of talk that a new entry might be on the horizon, the helmer has no interest in returning to the franchise.

Following a lengthy hiatus after horror movie A Cure For Wellness in 2016, Gore Verbinski is back in the director’s chair with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, a time-travel adventure that premiered at Fantastic Fest last month, and will release worldwide in January.

Verbinski made his feature debut with Mouse Hunt, and had hits with a remake of The Ring – which made our list of best horror movies ever – and animated smash Rango.

But he’s best known for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, with Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest, and At World’s End making a fortune globally, and proving that a ride could find success as a film.

Gore Verbinski says three Pirates of the Caribbean movies was “perfect for me”

Following his Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, two further films followed – On Stranger Tides, and Dead Men Tell No Tales – but Verbinski had nothing to do with them, and has no interest in tackling a proposed sixth entry.

“Oh, no, I’ve been done for a while,” says the director when asked if he’d ever return to the franchise. “I think, you know, doing three was perfect for me.

“I think I just like to learn. I like to do something I don’t know how to do. And once you kind of get a little bit like ‘I know how to do this,’ it’s time – you just might as well sell real estate or something. It’s never been about making money… it’s about the adventure [and] trying stuff.”

In terms of trying stuff, Verbinski brings the conversation around to Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, which concerns a mysterious man from the future – played by Sam Rockwell – recruiting people in the present-day to fight an AI threat. He does this by bursting into a diner and delivering a lengthy speech about the dangers facing humanity.

“Starting a movie with an 11 page monologue scared the crap our of me,” reveals Verbinski. “So I really, really worked on that, you know? I really wanted to make sure that as he’s walking in, you don’t trust him, and by the end of that scene, you have to be willing to go on the journey. That seemed so critical, and I like those sort of challenges.”