Around that time, producer Jerry Bruckheimer became involved in the project he had Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio work on the script, adding the plot device of a supernatural curse to the story to bring it in line with the original theme park ride.
Jay Wolpert developed a script in 2001, and Stuart Beattie rewrote it in early 2002. The story follows pirate Jack Sparrow ( Johnny Depp) and blacksmith Will Turner ( Orlando Bloom) as they rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth Swann ( Keira Knightley) from the cursed crew of the Black Pearl, captained by Hector Barbossa ( Geoffrey Rush), who become undead skeletons in moonlight. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer, the film is based on Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disney theme parks. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 American fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski and the first film in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.
