Watch Pirates of the Caribbean in release order: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Dead Man's Chest and At World's End form one trilogy with Will and Elizabeth, then On Stranger Tides (2011) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) follow Jack Sparrow on later voyages.
- Titles
- 5
- Films
- 5
- Watch time
- 12 hours
- Box office
- $4.53 billion
- Avg IMDb
- 7.2
Pirates of the Caribbean movies in release order
Here is every Pirates of the Caribbean title in the order it came out, 2003 to 2017: 5 films.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl | 2003 | Film | 2h 23m | 8.1 |
| 2 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | 2006 | Film | 2h 31m | 7.4 |
| 3 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | 2007 | Film | 2h 49m | 7.2 |
| 4 | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides | 2011 | Film | 2h 16m | 6.6 |
| 5 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales | 2017 | Film | 2h 9m | 6.5 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
For Pirates of the Caribbean, release order and story order are the same thing: every film picks up after the one before it. There is no prequel to slot in early and no flashback to reshuffle, so the list above is the only order you need.
Where to start
Start with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and go in release order.
The whole thing is 12 hours. At two hours a night that is about 7 evenings.
The three highest rated: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (8.1), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (7.4), and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (7.2).
Every Pirates of the Caribbean movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 2003 · Film · 2h 23m
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
When wily pirate Captain Barbossa seizes Jack Sparrow’s beloved ship, the Black Pearl, and kidnaps the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann, blacksmith Will Turner reluctantly teams up with the unpredictable pirate Jack to rescue her—only to uncover a terrifying curse that turns Barbossa’s crew into the undead.
Why it matters: Jack Sparrow, Will and Elizabeth; the place to start.
- Starring
- Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, and Orlando Bloom
- Director
- Gore Verbinski
- Box office
- $655 million on a $140 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 79%
No. 02 · 2006 · Film · 2h 31m
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Captain Jack Sparrow’s got a blood debt to pay: he owes his soul to the legendary Davy Jones, ghastly Ruler of the Ocean Depths. To escape eternal servitude aboard the Flying Dutchman, ever-crafty Jack must track down the still-beating heart of Jones. But he won’t do it alone: Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are drawn back into another one of his perilous quests—assuming they can evade execution for aiding a pirate.
Why it matters: Davy Jones; leads straight into At World's End.
- Starring
- Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley
- Director
- Gore Verbinski
- Box office
- $1.07 billion on a $200 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 53%
No. 03 · 2007 · Film · 2h 49m
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
After losing Captain Jack Sparrow to the locker of Davy Jones, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Barbossa journey to the ends of the earth to rescue him. And as the East India Trading Company tightens its grip on the seas under Lord Cutler Beckett—now in control of Davy Jones—the fate of piracy hangs by a thread. Now, they must unite the pirate lords for one final stand. But as loyalties are tested and alliances shift, each must ultimately choose where they stand in the battle for freedom on the high seas.
Why it matters: Ends Will and Elizabeth's trilogy.
- Starring
- Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, and Orlando Bloom
- Director
- Gore Verbinski
- Box office
- $962 million on a $300 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 43%
No. 04 · 2011 · Film · 2h 16m
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past, he's not sure if it's love...or if she's a ruthless con artist using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth.
Why it matters: Jack's solo adventure and the Fountain of Youth.
- Starring
- Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, and Geoffrey Rush
- Director
- Rob Marshall
- Box office
- $1.05 billion on a $379 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 32%
No. 05 · 2017 · Film · 2h 9m
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Capt. Jack Sparrow feels the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost sailors led by his old nemesis, the evil Capt. Salazar, escape from the Devil's Triangle. Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it, he must forge an uneasy alliance with a brilliant and beautiful astronomer and a headstrong young man in the British navy.
Why it matters: Will and Elizabeth's son joins Jack.
- Starring
- Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, and Geoffrey Rush
- Director
- Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning
- Box office
- $796 million on a $230 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 30%
Pirates of the Caribbean box office and budgets
The 5 Pirates of the Caribbean films with reported numbers have grossed $4.53 billion worldwide on about $1.25 billion in combined budgets, roughly 3.6 times what they cost. The biggest is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest at $1.07 billion, 24% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ($1.05 billion) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ($962 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which made 5.3 times its $200 million budget. The weakest was Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides at 2.8 times its $379 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Pirates of the Caribbean movies
Across 5 rated titles, Pirates of the Caribbean averages 7.2 on IMDb. The top of the list is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl at 8.1, then Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (7.4) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (7.2). At the bottom: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (6.5) and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (6.6).
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl8.1 · RT 79%
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest7.4 · RT 53%
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End7.2 · RT 43%
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides6.6 · RT 32%
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales6.5 · RT 30%
Who appears in the most Pirates of the Caribbean movies
Johnny Depp leads with 5 appearances as Jack Sparrow, ahead of Geoffrey Rush (4) and Kevin McNally (4). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Depp | Jack Sparrow | 5 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) |
| Geoffrey Rush | Barbossa / Hector Barbossa | 4 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) |
| Kevin McNally | Gibbs / Joshamee Gibbs | 4 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) |
| Orlando Bloom | Will Turner | 3 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) |
| Keira Knightley | Elizabeth Swann | 3 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) |
| Jack Davenport | Norrington | 3 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) |
| Jonathan Pryce | Governor Weatherby Swann | 3 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) |
| Lee Arenberg | Pintel | 3 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) |
| Mackenzie Crook | Ragetti | 3 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) |
| David Bailie | Cotton | 3 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) |
| Damian O'Hare | Lt. Gillette / Gillette | 2 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) |
| Angus Barnett | Mullroy | 2 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) |
Pirates of the Caribbean directors and creators
4 filmmakers have directed or created Pirates of the Caribbean; Gore Verbinski has the most, with 3.
- Gore VerbinskiPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
- Rob MarshallPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
- Espen SandbergPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
- Joachim RønningPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
How long it takes to watch every Pirates of the Caribbean movie
All 5 titles add up to 12 hours. That is about 7 two-hour evenings, or 2 days of ten-hour binges. The longest film is Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End at 2h 49m.
The 4 best rated films: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Everything takes about 2 weeks.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in?
Watch Pirates of the Caribbean in release order: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Dead Man's Chest and At World's End form one trilogy with Will and Elizabeth, then On Stranger Tides (2011) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) follow Jack Sparrow on later voyages.
How many Pirates of the Caribbean movies and shows are there?
There are 5 titles in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: 5 films and 0 series, released from 2003 to 2017.
How long does it take to watch all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies?
About 12 hours for all 5 titles, counting every episode.
What is the first Pirates of the Caribbean title in chronological order?
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, set in Port Royal. In release order the first is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
What is the best Pirates of the Caribbean movie?
By IMDb score, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) at 8.1, followed by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest at 7.4.
What is the highest-grossing Pirates of the Caribbean movie?
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), with $1.07 billion worldwide. Pirates of the Caribbean films have made $4.53 billion in total.
Who has appeared in the most Pirates of the Caribbean movies?
Johnny Depp, in 5 of them as Jack Sparrow.
What is the longest Pirates of the Caribbean movie?
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, at 2h 49m.
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