After months of uncertainty, Disney has finally chosen the official subtitle for the third film in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN series. It will be PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END, screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio confirm–the very phrase the scribes had lobbied for on the red carpet at Disneyland at the DEAD MAN’S CHEST premiere. Thanks very much to sleepy and Trista for updates; the full story is on the Zone’s News & Views forum, along with excerpts from Ted and Terry. Although there was some debate about whether or not an apostrophe would be included in the subtitle, the final version does include the apostrophe: AT WORLD’S END. Coming to a muliplex near you in May 2007!

Filming of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3 at the Redondo Beach, California location concluded today, and Johnny Depp stayed for hours to sign autographs and have pictures taken with some of the huge crowd of waiting fans. Johnny wore a long-sleeved white shirt bearing the logo of the yacht Sarita, his home during the Caribbean shooting of PIRATES 2 and 3 last year. He still had his beard braids attached, but for once–a true rarity–his hands were ringless. You can see that more clearly in the photo HERE.

Zone member Deppth was at the Redondo Beach site on the final day; although she arrived too late to have a chance at an autograph, she did get to see Johnny and reports that he “looked beautiful as usual, and had a huge smile on his face.” When he finished signing, he actually climbed the fence to wave goodbye to those fans who hadn’t had a chance to meet him in person. To see Johnny waving goodbye to his fans, click HERE.

DepplySmitten and dharma_bum also visited the Redondo Beach base camp on the final day of shooting, and were rewarded with a chance to photograph Johnny. You can read their wonderful encounters, in vivid detail, on the Zone’s Porch thread entitled “Visiting the POTC 3 Set in Redondo Beach.” We are deeply grateful to all the Zone members who have so generously shared their experiences and their personal photographs with Johnny’s fans around the world.

The Redondo Beach filming has been a particularly exciting time for Deppheads: rarely has one of Johnny’s sets been so consistently accessible. Dharma_bum has been an intrepid reporter, writing often and eloquently about the events. Since she and DepplySmitten actually saw Johnny leave the site, it’s only fitting to give her the last word: “His vehicle was initially swarmed by some exuberant young fans, so he was leaving quickly. When he reached the exit gate he stopped and rolled down the window about 2 feet from our faces. We were stunned, in a good way–he waved, we drooled. It’ll linger.”

In an interview with Access Hollywood, producer Jerry Bruckheimer spoke proudly of the success of DEAD MAN’S CHEST and dropped a few hints about next year’s PIRATES 3. Asked if DEAD MAN’S CHEST’s worldwide box office of $900 million was “mind-blowing,” Jerry replied, “It’s just a phenomenal success, and we’re thrilled again for the people at Disney, and Johnny and the cast and Gore and our writers, who did it. They did such an amazing job.” And the reason for this success? “It’s a real entertaining movie, and people want to be entertained,” said the producer. “It’s fun. You get to laugh. You get to feel something. And visually, it’s so exciting to watch.”

Prompted for some hints about plot developments in PIRATES 3, Jerry said, “Well, it’s going to be a continuing story: What’s going to happen to Elizabeth? Does she go with Captain Jack, or does she end up with Will? So, we’re going to find out.” He added, “Davy Jones is back, and we’ve got Barbossa back, so we’ve got some wonderful actors and great characters back for the third one.”

And will Keith Richards make his much-talked-about appearance? “It’s going to happen,” Jerry promised. “We hope to film in September.”

The Zone thanks gilly for posting this gem. You can watch the clip from ACCESS HOLLYWOOD HERE –click through the pictures until you get to the one of Jerry Bruckheimer. A full transcript of the Bruckheimer interview is posted on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

Johnny Depp makes several appearances in this week’s entertainment magazines, thanks to their coverage of Sunday night’s Teen Choice Awards. PEOPLE magazine offers two great photos: one of Johnny alone (page 3) and another of him striding to the podium with Orlando Bloom (page 72). To see the photo of Johnny and Orlando, click HERE.

LIFE & STYLE has a circular inset photo of Johnny on page 16. The caption reads, “PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN’s Johnny Depp, 43, was a teen choice treasure as he accepted the aware for Choice Actor in a Drama/Action Adventure–to a round of extended applause!”

The STAR has a large photo on page 6 captioned “Man of the Hour;” they note that Johnny captured “two coveted Choice Movie Actor surfboards, one for PIRATES and the other for CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.” US WEEKLY offers a backstage photo (page 28) of Johnny with Snoop Dogg. All magazines have a cover date of September 4, 2006.

The photo at left shows Johnny Depp greeting fans who gathered at the location site in Redondo Beach, California, after the day’s shooting on PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3 ended on Thursday, August 24th. Johnny is wearing his favorite orange Gonzo t-shirt and a black jacket with the Pirates of the Caribbean logo, and he’s still sporting Captain Jack’s eyeliner and beard danglies. To see a larger version of the photo, click HERE. For another shot of Johnny greeting a young fan, click HERE.

Dharma_bum scouted the location site and posted a report on the Porch; see the thread called “Visiting the POTC 3 Set in Redondo Beach.” Deppth was one of the lucky fans who actually got to meet Johnny on August 24th; Johnny signed autographs for Deppth and her sister, and she has kindly shared her encounter story and her pictures with us. Many thanks to both Zoners for their eyewitness accounts!

Pirate ahoy! That’s Johnny Depp in costume as Captain Jack Sparrow, saluting a photographer and fans as he heads off to work on PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3. To see a full-length view of Captain Jack, click HERE. The cast and crew were filming on the Black Pearl off the coast of Palos Verdes, California on Tuesday, August 22nd.

According to the TMZ website, after the day’s shoot, Johnny stayed late to sign autographs for waiting fans: “After filming wrapped for the day on Tuesday evening, Orlando Bloom made a quick escape by jumping in his car and heading out. While Johnny Depp, on the other hand, found time to say hi and take pictures with the dozens of fans waiting to see the actor through a chain link fence that borders the set,” reports TMZ. “It’s pretty clear why Depp walked away with the two Choice Movie Actor awards on Sunday night in both the comedy and drama/action categories. On-and off the screen–Johnny seems to be everyone’s favorite movie star.”

The Zone thanks DeepinDepp for breaking the story, and bonnie for the pictures of Captain Jack. You can read the whole story on the Zone’s News & Views forum. For another view of Johnny Depp en route to the Black Pearl, click HERE.

As production on PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3 continues, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Kevin McNally were seen filming scenes aboard the Black Pearl in the harbor at Long Beach, California on Monday, August 21st. The Black Pearl was moved from her berth at the foot of Miner Street in San Pedro, where she has been docked for the past month, for the filming–a very short trip as the crow (or Mr. Cotton’s parrot) flies . . . .

Thanks to FANtasticJD for posting the news; you can read a discussion of Monday’s filming on the Porch, on the thread called “Visiting the Black Pearl in San Pedro.” Thanks also to dharma_bum, who began the thread by posting her own photos of the Pearl. We are happy to see the Pirates of San Pedro back in action again!

Here’s an item sure to be at the top of many a holiday gift list: Disney and Buena Vista Home Entertainment will release 2006’s biggest blockbuster, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST, on region 1 DVD on December 5, 2006. Disney plans to release both single-disc and two-disc versions of the film, which stars Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. The single-disc version will contain “Bloopers of the Caribbean”–everybody’s favorite–and two writer commentary tracks; list price is $19.95. The two-disc version will list at $24.95 and will contain 8 hours of material (including the film and the features on the single-disc version). No specifics about the bonus material have been released, but they are expected to contain the usual making-of featurettes and a look at pirate lore.

Alas, there is no word yet on whether Johnny Depp does a commentary track for DEAD MAN’S CHEST, as he did for the DVD of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL. We’d certainly love to hear it!

The Zone thanks DeepinDepp for posting the press release on our News & Views forum. To see the DVD cover art, click HERE.

Johnny Depp swept both Best Actor honors at the 2006 Teen Choice Awards, winning as Choice Actor in a drama or action/adventure film for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST, and Choice Actor in a comedy as Willy Wonka in CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. Johnny arrived onstage at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles to pick up his trophy–a surfboard–to a thunderous ovation, and as he thanked the fans, his words could barely be heard above the screaming, squealing crowd. He wore a black T-shirt, blue jeans, a favorite blue plaid shirt knotted around his waist, and most of his customary jewelry, including his Children’s Hospice bracelet. To see a photo of Johnny at the awards podium, click HERE.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST collected seven Teen Choice Awards, a haul that would make Captain Jack and his crew proud. Some of the awards were quite whimsical–Bill Nighy won as “Choice Sleazebag,” for example, a category that could have been invented for tentacle-faced Davy Jones. Keira Knightley was honored for “Choice Hissy Fit” for her screaming scene on the beach, while Orlando Bloom won for “Choice Hottie” and “Choice Rumble,” a tribute to his fight scene.

DEAD MAN’S CHEST was honored as Choice Action-adventure Movie and Choice Summer Movie, Action-adventure. Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom accepted the DEAD MAN’S CHEST awards together, to the great delight of the crowd. To see a photo of Johnny and Orlando, click HERE, and to see a photo of Johnny shaking hands with fans in the audience, click HERE. The Zone thanks Carasun, In-too-Depp and theresa for the pictures. We also thank the many members who contributed to the Zone’s as-it-happened play-by-play of the Teen Choice Awards; you can read all about it on the News & Views forum and the Pit.

Congratulations to Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, and the cast and crew of DEAD MAN’S CHEST!

Drink up, me hearties–PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST crossed the $400 million mark at the North American box office on August 20th, becoming the second-fastest movie in history to reach that pinnacle. Only five films have ever earned $400 million domestically: SHREK 2 (which took 43 days to reach $400 million); DEAD MAN’S CHEST (45 days); TITANIC and SPIDER-MAN (both 66 days); and STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE (67 days). Captain Jack is sailing in rich company these days. Thanks to all of the Zone’s box-office trackers who have kept us updated, and congratulations to Johnny Depp, Gore Verbinski, Jerry Bruckheimer, and the cast and crew of the biggest movie of the year.

It’s hard to believe that Sunday, August 20th, will mark the one-year anniversary of the memorial service for Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, when the giant Gonzo fist lit up the Colorado sky and his ashes were blasted into the heavens. ONBC will remember the Good Doctor on Sunday with a tribute and a memorial thread; please join Liz, DeppintheHeartofTexas and the Noodlemantras and share your memories of Hunter and his work.

Last year, ONBC bade farewell to Hunter with a worldwide Howl at the moment his ashes were blasted skyward. You are invited to join in another Howl on Sunday, August 20th, at 8:40 p.m. Mountain Time, as we salute the one and only Gonzo in a truly Gonzo way.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST has won its first awards of the season: the 10th Annual Hollywood Film Festival has announced that it will present DEAD MAN’S CHEST with the “Hollywood Visual Effects of the Year Award.” Johnny Depp, with or without dreadlocks and gold teeth, is our favorite visual effect, but we take our hats off to the artists who created Davy Jones and his undersea crew.

Congratulations as well to Penny Rose, who designed the costumes for all three PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films. Ms. Rose will be honored with the “Hollywood Costume Designer of the Year Award” at the Hollywood Film Festival.

The Zone thanks Gilbert’s Girl and gilly for sharing the happy news; you can read the press releases on the Porch. The 2006 Annual Hollywood Film Festival runs from October 17 to 23; the awards ceremony will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Monday night, October 23rd.

Tim Burton’s version of the Stephen Sondheim musical thriller SWEENEY TODD, starring Johnny Depp as the notorious barber, will begin filming on February 5, 2007, DreamWorks Studio announced today. The DreamWorks-Warner Bros. co-production will film at Burton’s favorite stomping grounds, Pinewood Studios in London. Two-time Oscar winner Colleen Atwood will design the costumes, and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Dante Spinotti, who shot L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, will be Burton’s director of photography.

According to Variety, the SWEENEY TODD producers said “rehearsals and pre-recordings will begin in November and December;” that gives Johnny only a short break after finishing PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3, which is currently shooting in southern California. DreamWorks spokesman Marvin Levy told the Associated Press that Johnny Depp “is expected to do his own singing” as Sweeney Todd.

Thanks very much to emma for posting several news items on the Zone’s News & Views forum–you can find the articles from Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and the Associated Press there.

DreamWorks and Warner Bros. plan to release SWEENEY TODD in late 2007.

It’s true–Johnny Depp will play Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, in a film version of the much-honored Stephen Sondheim musical to be directed by Tim Burton. DreamWorks Studios announced the news today (August 16); Warner Bros. will join with them in bringing SWEENEY TODD to the screen. Production on SWEENEY TODD is scheduled to begin “early next year for a late 2007 release.”

SWEENEY TODD will mark Johnny Depp’s 6th collaboration with longtime friend Tim Burton; their previous work includes EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, ED WOOD, SLEEPY HOLLOW, and last year’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and CORPSE BRIDE.

No other cast members have been announced. Burton will work from John Logan’s adaptation of the Broadway musical, which features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler. Logan’s previous work includes the screenplays for THE AVIATOR and GLADIATOR. SWEENEY TODD’s quartet of producers includes Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, Richard Zanuck (who also produced CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY) and screenwriter Logan. Paramount will distribute for DreamWorks domestically and Warner Bros. internationally.

The Zone thanks Theresa for breaking the news–you can read the full press release on the News & Views forum. Congratulations and best wishes to Johnny and Tim!

Here’s a pleasant surprise for Deppheads, as well as all fans of the horror genre: North American viewers will have a chance to see A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET on the big screen once again! The 1984 film launched Johnny Depp’s film career–he plays high-school student Glen Lantz–and introduced Robert Englund as the deadly Freddie Kreuger. In honor of the horror classic’s DVD release in a newly remastered special edition, which hits the shelves on September 26th, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET will be shown in selected movie theaters across North America at 8:00 p.m. for two nights only–September 20th and 21st.

Tickets for the special shows are available via Fandango; you can enter your zip code and find performances in your area if you click HERE. To see the movie poster for the event, click HERE. The Zone thanks DeepinDepp for breaking the news; you can read all about the screenings, and the upcoming DVD release of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, on the News & Views forum.

Captain Jack Sparrow and his beloved Black Pearl made port at an odd location last week, as filming resumed on the third installment of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. On Friday, August 4th, scenes featuring Johnny Depp were filmed at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, one of the starkest, driest locations on planet earth. The POTC crew was able to shoot near Wendover and finish before their presence became known to the public . . . although the set did have one famous, invited visitor, as Utah Governor Jon Huntsman stopped by to enjoy a private lunch with the cast and crew.

Publicist Michael Singer could not disclose how the bright, white-hot sands of the Salt Flats figure into the plot of PIRATES 3. “[B]ut for the purposes that we required,” Singer told a local newspaper reporter Jesse Fruhwirth, “I can say that the Bonneville Salt Flats presented a perfect location. And all the officials, from the governor, BLM [Bureau of Land Management] and film commission were really absolutely great to work with.”

The Zone thanks gilly and emma for breaking the news. You can read Jesse Fruhwirth’s article HERE, and the account from KSL News on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

“The buccaneers remain the unchallenged kings of the world,” writes Variety, noting that in its fifth weekend of international release, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST earned another $57 million. The film displayed strong legs in the U.S. market, placing third for the weekend with $11 million and bringing its U.S. total to $379.7 million. DEAD MAN’S CHEST currently ranks #8 on the all-time U.S. box office list, and will pass #7, STAR WARS EPISODE III–REVENGE OF THE SITH, in another day or two.

DEAD MAN’S CHEST opened in France this week, and posted the biggest totals ever ($18 million) for a Disney film there. “To give some idea of its weekend dominance internationally,” notes The Hollywood Reporter, “DEAD MAN’S CHEST grossed more than the No. 2 through No. 10 titles combined.” The overseas box office total for DEAD MAN’S CHEST is $392 million, bringing its worldwide earnings to a staggering $771.7 million. Thanks to emma for posting the Variety and Hollywood Reporter articles; you can read them on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

Johnny Depp’s remarkable acting talent has earned the praise of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL; in a critical assessment entitled “The Surprise Artist: How Johnny Depp Keeps Defying Expectations,” critic Joe Morgenstern notes that Johnny’s success as Captain Jack Sparrow has brought him a “new real-life role as king of the Hollywood hill.” Observes Morgenstern, “What his sudden ascension means for the studios is clear–a mad competition for his services, now that the second installment of PIRATES is a staggering success [. . .]. What it means for movie lovers, especially those who care about actors and acting, is equally clear. Stardom isn’t always synonymous with interesting acting [. . .]. Yet every Depp performance holds out the promise of surprise, and he delivers on the promise more often than not.”

According to Morgenstern, Johnny Depp is such an extraordinary actor that the public can’t help responding to his genius. “Moviegoers who don’t usually register the specifics of performance love to talk about his work in PIRATES, but it’s hardly the first time Mr. Depp has inspired such discussion,” Morgenstern writes. “He has a star presence and a star’s set of skills–in DON JUAN DEMARCO he managed to dominate most of his scenes with Marlon Brando–but without the burden of a star persona. [. . . H]e declines to confine himself to roles that conform to his public’s expectations. [. . .] Now that he’s in the singular position of doing anything he chooses,” writes Morgenstern, “it will be fascinating to see what he does next.”

On the list of Morgenstern’s favorite (but underrated) Depp performances: DON JUAN DEMARCO, FROM HELL, BLOW, and DONNIE BRASCO. You can read the entire article–and it’s a gem–on the Zone’s News & Views forum; thanks very much to emma for sharing the story.

With PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST safely launched and breaking box-office records worldwide, the hardworking cast and crew of the Disney franchise is being summoned back to work to complete the third installment in the PIRATES series. The production will not be returning to the Caribbean, however–all the location work there was completed last winter. Shooting on PIRATES 3 (which still has no official subtitle, according to Disney) is scheduled to begin August 3, 2006 and to continue through the end of November. Locations confirmed by the casting agency include Los Angeles; Palmdale, California (where sets have been under construction since May); and Long Beach, California. Terry Rossio has also mentioned Utah and Hawaii as sites for location work for PIRATES 3, and Martine White, Santa Barbara County Film Commissioner, reports that some location work will take place at the Guadalupe Dunes on the California coast. You can read the full story HERE. The Zone thanks emma and DeepinDepp for the news.

With his dreadlocks and dangles, he may seem an unlikely superhero, but Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow overcame three years of declining movie ticket sales and “rescued” the movie industry, says Scott Bowles of USA TODAY. In an article entitled “A Pirate Rescues Movies,” Bowles notes that the blockbuster success of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST helped lift other movies as well, as customers who could not get into sold-out shows of DEAD MAN’S CHEST bought tickets for other films instead. “It’s hard to overestimate the effect of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST, analysts and studio execs say,” writes Bowles. With U.S. tickets sales of $358.5 million, Johnny’s pirate movie has “helped propel overall summer ticket sales above $2.84 billion, 6% ahead of last year.”

Although it slipped to #2 at the box office last weekend, as newcomer MIAMI VICE eked out a narrow victory in its opening weekend, DEAD MAN’S CHEST now seems certain to earn more than $400 million domestically, which will make it one of the five biggest movies of all time. It continues to perform very well in overseas markets, breaking numerous box-office records and earning $305.5 million so far, which gives DEAD MAN’S CHEST a worldwide box-office total of $664 million . . . and counting.

The Zone thanks theresa for posting the USA Today story on our News & Views forum. You can read Bowles’s entire analysis of the summer movie season HERE.