Johnny Depp in London at the premiere of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES!

That’s Johnny Depp signing autographs for British fans at the London premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on Thursday — not at the familiar Leicester Square venue (which is undergoing construction at the moment), but at the Vue Cinema at Westfield Shopping Centre. (To see a larger photo of Johnny signing autographs, CLICK HERE, and to see a photo of Johnny waving to the crowd, CLICK HERE. Adding to the unusual ambiance was the bright blue (not red) carpet that awaited the movie’s stars. You can see Johnny and Penelope Cruz (in a floor-length white gown with a train) on the blue carpet HERE, and smiling for photographers HERE. To see a full-cast photo of the London premiere attendees, CLICK HERE; from left to right, producer Jerry Bruckheimer; Ian McShane; Sam Claflin; Astrid Berges-Frisbey; Johnny Depp; Penelope Cruz; Geoffrey Rush; director Rob Marshall.

One particular delight of the London premiere was Johnny’s reunion with self-described “budding pirate” Beatrice Delap, a student at Meridian Primary School in Greenwich, who last autumn wrote a letter to Johnny asking for his help in staging a mutiny against her teachers. That letter brought Captain Jack Sparrow and other pirates, in full costume, for an impromptu visit to Beatrice and a most welcome and memorable interruption to the school day — one the students and faculty of Meridian Primary will never forget. You can see Johnny greeting Beatrice with a hug HERE and posing for photos with the beautiful young lady HERE.

The Zone thanks Emma, In-too-Depp, Evochka, AnaMaria, and HonestGirl for sharing news and photos from the London premiere. You can read much more about it, including accounts from Zoners who were there, on the Zone’s News & Views forum.