History of Pirates of the Caribbean Timeline

Pirates of the Caribbean became a media franchise in the 2000s with the release of The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and written by screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, the film launched what would become a five-film series.

Image source: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Dead Man's Chest, the first sequel to The Curse of the Black Pearl, continued the story of Captain Jack Sparrow. It was followed by three more sequels, expanding the film series begun in 2003.

Image source: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End premiered on May 25, 2007, concluding the original trilogy that began with The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003.

Image source: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the franchise, continued the series' run of sequels following the original trilogy, keeping the films among Hollywood's most successful franchises.

Image source: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Dead Men Tell No Tales, the fifth installment, was the final of four sequels to The Curse of the Black Pearl, completing the theatrical arc of the franchise begun in 2003.

Image source: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

By 2019, the Pirates of the Caribbean films had grossed over $4.5 billion worldwide, putting the film franchise 16th in the list of all-time highest-grossing franchises and film series.

Pirates of the Caribbean was the name of a team participating in the 2005–2006 Volvo Ocean Race, tying the franchise's branding to the prestigious round-the-world sailing competition.

Image source: The Ocean Race

A mash-up pack based on Pirates of the Caribbean was released on August 27, 2018 for Minecraft's Bedrock, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.

Image source: Minecraft

As part of a crossover collaboration with the pirate setting video game Sea of Thieves, a free expansion titled A Pirate's Life was released on June 22, 2021, featuring a new original story along with characters such as Jack Sparrow, Joshamee Gibbs, and Davy Jones.

Image source: Sea of Thieves

A Fortnite collaboration started on July 17, 2024, with skins depicting Elizabeth Swann, Captain Barbosa, Davy Jones and Jack Sparrow, bringing the franchise's iconic characters to the battle royale game.

Image source: Fortnite Battle Royale

One of two Pirates of the Caribbean pinball machines ever produced was made in 2006 by Stern Pinball, capitalizing on the popularity of the blockbuster film franchise.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End received a junior novelization written by Tui T., published in 2007 alongside the third film in the series.

A second Pirates of the Caribbean pinball machine was produced in 2018 by Jersey Jack, joining the 2006 Stern machine as one of only two such machines ever made.

Image source: Jersey Jack Pinball