The Rocky Mountain News reports that, as Jerry Bruckheimer hoped, “PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2 and 3 will be shot at the same time–beginning late February in the Caribbean. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush are back aboard, with director Gore Verbinski at the helm.” Other reports have the start of filming pushed to the beginning of March, to allow awards season to finish, just in case a certain leading actor might have some important engagements on his calendar for the end of February. We certainly hope so!

In other POTC sequel casting news, the Rocky Mountain News reports that a new female character will appear in both sequels. She is “Tia Dalma, a jewelry-covered gypsy queen with tattoos, dreadlocks and clairvoyant powers. The role is being cast now, and, almost unheard-of in casting notices, word is she doesn’t have to be beautiful.” That sound you hear is every actress in Hollywood rushing her headshot and resume to her agent. The Zone thanks Emma for posting the story on the News & Views forum. For the full story, go HERE .

Finally, Emma caught the following news item just posted at Dark Horizons: the “rumoured working title” for the first sequel is PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2: DEAD MAN’S CHEST. That has an appropriately piratical ring to it, and Depp fans can’t help but enjoy the allusion to Johnny’s previous DEAD MAN. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum to the POTC scribes!