Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a 2007 American adventurous fantasy swashbuckler, the third film in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. The plot follows Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), and the crew of the Black Pearl rescuing Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), from Davy Jones's Locker, and then preparing to fight the East India Trading Company, led by Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) and Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), who plan to extinguish piracy. Gore Verbinski directed the film, as he did with the previous two. It was shot in two shoots during 2005 and 2006, the former simultaneously with the preceding film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

The film was released in English-speaking countries on May 25, 2007 after Disney decided to move the release date a day earlier than originally planned. Critical reviews were mixed, but At World's End was a box office hit, becoming the most successful film of 2007, with over $960 million worldwide.

It was nominated for the Academy Award for Makeup and the Academy Award for Visual Effects, which it lost to La Vie en Rose and The Golden Compass, respectively. A fourth installment, On Stranger Tides, the first to neither be directed by Verbinski nor star Bloom and Knightley, was released in cinemas on May 20, 2011.

Synopsis
Just when he's needed most, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), that witty and wily charmer of a pirate, is trapped on a sea of sand in Davy Jones' Locker. In an increasingly shaky alliance, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) begin a desperate quest to find and rescue him. Captain Jack's the last of the nine Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court who must all come together united in one last stand to preserve the freedom-loving pirates' way of life. From exotic Singapore to World's End and beyond, from Shipwreck Island to a titanic battle, this adventure's filled with over-the-edge action, irreverent humor, and seafaring myth and magic.

Hoist the Colours
"Lord Beckett! they've started to sing, sir." "...Finally."

- Theodore Groves and Cutler Beckett

Mass executions of pirates and pirate sympathizers are underway at Fort Charles in Port Royal, at the behest of Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), who begins his War Against Piracy as he gains control of the Dead Man's Chest. Among those waiting at the gallows is a young cabin boy (Brendyn Bell), who begins singing a pirate shanty, Hoist the Colours. The song is picked up by the entire assembly, and its final line ("Never shall we die") continues to resonate as the singers are hanged. The boy's piece of eight falls to the ground.

Singapore
"Captain Barbossa. Welcome to Singapore."

- Sao Feng to Hector Barbossa

Meanwhile in Singapore, where Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) is rowing through the streets in a peapod canoe, singing further verses of Hoist the Colours. She is confronted by Tai Huang (Reggie Lee), but is revealed to be in the company of Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Led by Huang, Swann and Barbossa make their way to a bath house presided over by the feared Captain Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat). Meanwhile, the surviving members of the motley crew, including Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally), Marty (Martin Klebba), Cotton (David Bailie), Pintel (Lee Arenberg) and Ragetti (Mackenzie Crook), are infiltrating the lower levels of the bath house. The newest member of the crew, mystic Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris), is disguised nearby as a common hawker.

After being forced to remove their weapons, Barbossa and Elizabeth meet Sao Feng inside the bath house. He questions their intentions to bargain for his navigational charts, revealing that a thief had attempted to steal them earlier in the day. The thief is being held in the bath house, and is none other than William Turner (Orlando Bloom). Sao Feng makes to kill him, tricking Elizabeth into giving away their connection to him. Barbossa takes charge, reminding Feng that the "song has been sung", and all Pirate Lords&mdash;of which Feng is one&mdash;are bound to convene at Shipwreck Cove. Barbossa requires the charts to reach World's End, and from there descend into Davy Jones' Locker to rescue the Pirate Lord, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). This angers Feng, who holds a grudge against Sparrow. The crew, hidden below the floorboards, do not help matters by throwing Barbossa and Elizabeth swords at the mention of the word "weapons". During the stand-off, Feng notices one of the bath house residents has a fake tattoo, though Barbossa claims the man is not his. At that moment, soldiers of the East India Trading Company burst in, led by Mercer (David Schofield).

A battle ensued in the bathhouse, which would later lead into the streets of Singapore. Throughout the battle, there have been casualties on both sides, including many EITC soldiers and both of Sao Feng's body guards Park and Lian. At one point, Mercer overhears a conversation between Sao Feng and Will. Turner promises Feng a chance to meet with Lord Beckett and spare himself from the EITC's attentions, and in exchange Will desires command of the Black Pearl. Feng gives Will the charts, and lends Barbossa both a ship, the Hai Peng, and a crew led by Tai Huang. They depart Singapore for World's End.

At World's End
"For certain, you have to be lost to find a place as can’t be found. Elseways, everyone would know where it was."

- Hector Barbossa

Meanwhile, the Flying Dutchman is laying siege to a pirate fleet, utterly destroying its ships. In his office, Lord Beckett is musing on the significance of the piece of eight, wishing to know the location of the meeting place of the Brethren Court. Governor Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce) is being forced to sign execution orders. Beckett summons Admiral James Norrington (Jack Davenport), and reunites him with an "old friend"; his sword, forged over a year before by Will Turner.

The crew of the Hai Peng sails across a frozen ocean, and Tia Dalma explains to Pintel and Ragetti that Jack has been taken to a place "not of death, but punishment". Will tries in vain to decipher the cryptic instructions on the charts, while Barbossa, Gibbs and Pintel fill in with information on the "green flash"; the signal of a soul returning to the world.

Lord Beckett surveys the wrecks of the pirate fleet with consternation, and muses that Governor Swann is no longer of use to him. He orders the Dead Man's Chest to be brought aboard the Flying Dutchman, berating Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) for not leaving any survivors alive to question. Beckett reminds him that Jones is under his control, citing the death of the Kraken, on Beckett's command. Jones is clearly not happy with the situation, but has no choice but to serve the East India Trading Company in its War Against Piracy "Don't be so unkind. You may not survive to pass this way again, and these be the last friendly words you'll hear."

- Hector Barbossa to Elizabeth Swann

Under a clear, starry sky, the Hai Peng sails closer to World's End. Elizabeth remains unable to speak to Will, saying only that everything will be fine once Jack is rescued. Tia Dalma reminds Will that for what he wants most, "there is a cost must be paid in the end". The crew faces bigger problems, however, when Barbossa leads them towards a massive waterfall&mdash;World's End. The crew attempts to slow the ship, which plunges over the edge and into darkness.

Davy Jones' Locker
"I have no sympathy for any of you feculent maggots and no more patience to pretend otherwise. Gentlemen! I wash my hands of this weirdness."

- Jack Sparrow to his hallucinations

In the maddening dimension of Davy Jones' Locker, Jack Sparrow is suffering under hallucinations onboard the Black Pearl. He sees multiple versions of himself crewing the ship, but cannot command any of them. He decides to take leave of his visions, and jumps off the ship. He finds himself in a vast, seemingly endless white-sand desert, where he encounters thousands upon thousands of crabs. Under sheer numbers, the crabs lift the Black Pearl and begin rolling it across the dunes, with Jack in pursuit. His former crew have meanwhile made it to the shore of the beach, having survived the fall into the Locker at the cost of the Hai Peng. The crabs retreat to Tia Dalma, just as the Black Pearl crests a nearby dune, Captain Jack Sparrow standing high on its mainmast.

The Black Pearl rolls into the ocean, and Jack is reunited with his crew, whom he initially mistakes for further hallucinations—until he spots Elizabeth, the woman who left him to die. He takes Barbossa's resurrection in stride, and begins choosing his new crew members, including Tai Huang's men but neglecting Barbossa, Will, Elizabeth, Pintel and Ragetti, all of them having been enemies with him in the past. During this exchange he also reveals to Will that Elizabeth betrayed him. However, as Barbossa holds the navigational charts, and Jack finds his compass useless in the Locker, he has no choice but to accept them as well.

The crew sets sail across the boundless seas of the Locker, with Jack and Barbossa competing for captaincy of "their" ship. Will encounters Elizabeth below decks, and they have what is possibly their first real conversation together since Jack's death. Will realizes that Elizabeth is not in love with Jack, but instead feels guilty for abandoning him to the Kraken. Nevertheless, Will finds himself unable to trust Elizabeth, and they part, their problems unresolved. As night falls, Pintel and Ragetti spot bodies floating in the doldrums, which Tia Dalma identifies as the souls of men and women drowned at sea. She further explains that it was the duty of Davy Jones, once a man, to care for these souls and usher them into the afterlife. In return, he would be able to reunite, every ten years, with "she who love him, truly". Following the floating bodies come boats occupied by a single soul. Elizabeth spots her father, and believes they are back in the land of the living, until Weatherby informs her that he thinks he is dead. He explains that he had learned about the Dead Man's Chest—that if one were to stab the heart within, their heart was bound to take its place—considering it a "silly thing to die for", though both Jack and Will find the news very interesting. Elizabeth attempts to bring her father aboard, but his boat sails on, Weatherby promising to give Elizabeth's love to her mother. Tia Dalma states that Weatherby is now at peace.

Up is Down
"Up is down. Well that’s just maddeningly unhelpful. Why are these things never clear?"

- Jack Sparrow

With the water and the rum gone, the situation aboard the Black Pearl is becoming dire. Jack continues to experience hallucinations, during which he begins to form a plan to kill Davy Jones and captain the Flying Dutchman himself, thus ensuring immortality. He receives inspiration, and is able to decipher the charts ("Up is Down"). He lures the crew into rocking the ship, tipping it upside down in the water just as the sun sets in the Locker. The Black Pearl is transported back into the land of the living at sunrise, where the crew immediately pull out their guns in a tense stand-off. Barbossa informs Jack that the Brethren Court is gathering, though Sparrow is adamant he will not be attending. He assures Barbossa he will not be returning to the Locker, and attempts to shoot him&hellip; finding that his pistol has become water logged and will not fire. The rest of the crew have suffered the same setback, and are forced to cooperate. Will locates a fresh water spring on a nearby island, to which the crew sails.

Just Good Business
"There is no honor in remaining with the losing side, leaving it for the winning side…that's just good business." "The losin' side, ye say?"

- Sao Feng and Hector Barbossa.

There, they discover the corpse of the Kraken, over which Jack reflects on his own mortality. They locate the spring, but at that moment, the Empress, flagship of Sao Feng, is spotted off-shore&mdash;and Tai Huang reveals his true colours and ambushes Jack's crew. They are brought aboard the Black Pearl, where Feng greets Jack by punching him on the nose, before claiming that an "old friend" wishes to speak with him: directing his attention to the HMS Endeavour. Onboard, Jack meets Cutler Beckett, who reminds Jack that Davy Jones will still want his debt settled. Onboard the Black Pearl, Mercer claims the ship for the East India Trading Company, despite it having been promised to both Feng and Will. Beckett attempts to persuade Jack to give him information concerning the Brethren Court, while Barbossa tries to sway Feng into ending his deal with the Company. Barbossa reminds Feng that the Brethren has the power to release Calypso, and thus bring the "power of the seas" to bear against Beckett. Jack agrees to lead Beckett to Shipwreck Cove, in exchange for the loyal members of his crew, though

Beckett is interested in what Jack wishes for Elizabeth. Feng himself is also interested in Elizabeth, having been regarding her curiously while Barbossa spoke of Calypso. Over Will's objections, both Barbossa and Elizabeth agree to Feng's terms, while Beckett threatens to kill Jack, in order to use Jack's compass to find Shipwreck Cove. Jack warns him that if he does this, he will face the very difficult task of taking Shipwreck Cove by force, and offers to lure the Pirate Lords out of the fortress, in exchange for his debt to Jones being withdrawn. Feng finally agrees, able to take Elizabeth aboard the Empress and allow the Black Pearl to escape, and his men launch a broadside on the Endeavour. Barbossa duels with Mercer and fearing for his life, Mercer jumps off the ship.

Betrayal and Redemption
"Our destinies have been entwined, Elizabeth, but never joined."

- James Norrington to Elizabeth Swann

During the confusion, Jack seals his deal with Beckett and makes a swashbuckling escape back to the Black Pearl. Beckett orders the Flying Dutchman to pursue the Empress, though his own pursuit of Sparrow's crew is delayed by the damage suffered by his ship. Onboard the Empress, Feng has Elizabeth dressed in fine Chinese silks, and calls her "Calypso". Elizabeth plays along, though rebuffs Feng's romantic advances. The Pirate Lord becomes angry, and forces himself on her. At that moment, the ship comes under attack from the Flying Dutchman, and the Captain's cabin is hit. Elizabeth recovers to find Feng knocked against a wall, impaled on a piece of wood. He implores her to go to Shipwreck Cove in his place, giving her his piece of eight and names her his successor both as a Pirate Lord and captain of the Empress. He dies, still believing her to be Calypso, though Tai Huang is not ready to accept his new captain. The crew are rounded up on deck, where Elizabeth is reunited with Norrington. He claims to be unaware of Weatherby's death, and though he spares Elizabeth from Davy Jones, Elizabeth is unable to forgive him for choosing the side of the enemy.

Elizabeth and her new crew are locked in the brig of the Flying Dutchman while the Empress is towed behind. Elizabeth encounters William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner (Stellan Skarsgård), who has fallen into a state of madness, able only to recall his name, and that Will promised to free him. He manages to identify Elizabeth as the girl his son loves, and despairs that Will would never choose to bind himself to the Flying Dutchman and free his father, when he could remain with Elizabeth. He lapses back into insanity, forgetting the conversation completely, stating only that Will is coming for him.

Meanwhile, Beckett and Lieutenant Greitzer (David Meunier) are following a trail of bodies tied to barrels, evidently as a path to Shipwreck Cove. Beckett considers it to be a "gambit by a skilled opponent". It turns out that it is Will who is leaving the trail, and is confronted by Jack, who mocks Will's decision to do as promised at lead Beckett to Shipwreck Cove. He then reveals his intention to replace Jones as captain of the Flying Dutchman, thus allowing Will to "avoid the choice" between Elizabeth and "Bootstrap". Jack considers binding himself to the Flying Dutchman to be a form of freedom, though is not prepared to do the duty. He hands Will his compass, then sends him overboard, intending him to be picked up by the Endeavour.

Onboard the Flying Dutchman, Elizabeth is surprised to find Norrington has re-evaluated his position, and helps she and her crew escape the ship. Elizabeth is initially dubious, though implores him to come with her back to the Empress when he decides to remain aboard the ship and hold off "Bootstrap Bill". Will's father is unable to realize Norrington is helping Elizabeth, adamant only that "no one leaves the ship". Norrington shoots the line linking the Empress to the Flying Dutchman, stopping Elizabeth from re-boarding to help him, and he is stabbed by the confused "Bootstrap". Dying, James is confronted by Davy Jones, who seems set to offer him the choice of service aboard the ship. In response, James thrusts his sword into Jones' shoulder before dying. Jones keeps the sword for himself, and with the admiral dead, believes command of the ship has returned to him. However, he enters his cabin only to find Mercer has taken the key to the Dead Man's Chest, becoming the Flying Dutchman's new commander.

The Brethren Court
"This is madness!" "This is politics."

- Elizabeth Swann and Jack Sparrow

The Black Pearl arrives at the shore of Shipwreck Island, where Barbossa confronts Tia Dalma. He names her as Calypso, and orders Pintel and Ragetti to lock her in the brig, ensuring she is unable to escape before Barbossa can free her. He is left contemplating the reason he was brought back from the dead by Dalma, and his fate should he fail to free Calypso.

Meanwhile, Davy Jones is summoned aboard the HMS Endeavour, where Cutler Beckett is drinking tea with Will. Turner informs Jones of Jack's continued survival, though Beckett soon turns the conversation to the subject of Calypso. Jones is particularly vehement in lambasting his former love, and is enraged to learn the Brethren intends to release her. Jones reveals that it was he who showed the first Brethren Court how to bind her, thus matching Calypso's betrayal with one of his own. Will now strikes a bargain of his own. In return for the freedom of his father Elizabeth, and himself, Will will help lead Beckett and Jones to Shipwreck Cove&mdash;with the help of Jack's compass. An additional price from Jones is that he would have Calypso murdered.

The fourth meeting of the Brethren Court is officially opened by Barbossa, who asks his fellow eight Lords to present their pieces of eight&mdash;symbols of their Lordship, though in actuality are little more than pieces of junk. Ragetti hands over his wooden eye as Barbossa's piece, though Jack attempts to stall for time in order to avoid handing in his piece. Elizabeth Swann interrupts at that moment, proclaiming the death of Sao Feng, and her position as his successor. The Brethren do not take well to this news, and do not take Elizabeth's warning that the Flying Dutchman is approaching, or her suggestion to fight seriously, believing Shipwreck Cove to be an impregnable fortress. Barbossa, however, voices his plan to free Calypso to use her wrath against Lord Beckett. The Court opposes the notion, and as arguments turn into provocations, the meeting descends into a brawl.

While the meeting continues, Davy Jones arrives onboard the Black Pearl, to confront Tia Dalma. He angrily asks her why she did not meet him on his one day ashore, and Dalma simply replies that it is her nature. She momentarily reverts Jones back to his human form, promising to give him her heart when she is freed. She also vows to turn against the Brethren Court, and show them the full extent of her cruelty.

The Court stops fighting for a moment to listen to a rambling monologue by Jack, who agrees with Elizabeth, stating that the pirates must fight, if only to run away, pointing out the dangers of the other two plans; Calypso may not be too friendly towards the pirates, and they may kill each other off if they hole up in Shipwreck Cove. However, Barbossa reminds the Court that a declaration of war can only be passed by the Pirate King&mdash;and no one has held that title since the first Brethren. To settle the matter, Barbossa calls upon Captain Teague, Keeper of the Code, who confirms Barbossa's statement. Jack calls for a vote, upon which each Pirate Lord votes for him or herself&hellip;until Jack seconds Elizabeth's vote, thus electing her Pirate King by popular vote. The Brethren is stunned, and was surely set to have overruled the Code had the infamous Teague not been present. With no other choice, Elizabeth accepts her new position, and declares war at dawn. As the meeting comes to a close, Jack asks Teague about the nature of immortality. Teague states that the trick of it is not simply living forever, but living forever with yourself. Their brief reunion ends with Teague reuniting Jack with his mother&mdash;now reduced to a shrunken head carried on Teague's belt.

Parley
"Advise your Brethren: you can fight, and all of you will die, or you can not fight, in which case only most of you will die."

- Cutler Beckett to Elizabeth Swann

As all the pirates get ready to fight, they see the horizon filled with Lord Beckett's massive fleet and became dumbstruck. Jack calls for a temporary parley, and he along with Elizabeth and Barbossa go to a small sand bar to meet up with Beckett, Jones, and Will. Jack's deal with Beckett is revealed, and in a fit of anger Barbossa slashes his sword at Jack, cutting off his Piece of Eight. Jack the monkey quickly grabs the piece. Elizabeth decides to trade Jack for Will. Jack is turned over to Jones, just as he had planned. As Barbossa, Elizabeth, and Will walk away Jack the monkey secretly hands Jack's Piece of Eight to Barbossa. Seeing an easy way out of the battle, Barbossa then frees Tia Dalma/Calypso and asks her to help in the battle between the pirates, Davy Jones, the Royal Navy, and the East India Trading Company with Will revealing Jones' betrayal of which she was unaware. However, Calypso disperses and Barbossa sees their last hope lost.

Maelstrom battle
"The enemy...has opted for oblivion. Ready the fleet."

- Cutler Beckett to Lieutenant Theodore Groves and his men

However, Elizabeth didn't give up hope and tells the other pirates to "Hoist the Colours". As both fleets prepared for attack, a violent maelstrom emerges between the two fleets, implied to be the work of Calypso. The Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman then steer into the storm and battle each other fiercely. During the battle, Davy Jones takes command of the Dutchman completely when he kills Mercer and takes the key to his chest, but is caught in a fight with Jack Sparrow who escapes the brig thanks to a trick Will taught him.. The two crews of both ships eventually leap of the Dutchman and the Pearl and do battle. During this, Elizabeth and Will are joined in matrimony by Captain Barbossa while fighting the crew of the Flying Dutchman. While Barbossa is busy decapitating a crew member of the Flying Dutchman, the two ship's masts crash together.

Soon after, Will arrives on the Dutchman to only be in a duel with his father in which he defeats but doesn't kill his father. Jones defeats Elizabeth, but Will stabs him through the back, forgetting his heart is no longer there and is defeated by Jones who goes to kill him after seeing the love between him and Elizabeth. However, this allows Jack to get both the Key and the Chest and remove the heart which he threatens, but Jones stabs Will anyway. This breaks Bootstrap out of his insanity and he attacks Jones, allowing Jack time to help Will stab the heart, killing Davy Jones. Jones's last words are "Calypso", and he falls from the ship into the darkness of the maelstrom. Barbossa then orders the crew to shoot a chain at the masts, allowing him to safely guide the Black Pearl out of the Maelstrom. Jack and Elizabeth manage to escape the Dutchman by using a sail as a makeshift parasail and watch as the Flying Dutchman sinks into the Malestrom which then subsides.

Fate and the Fountain
"Keep a weather eye on the horizon."

- Will Turner to Elizabeth Turner before he leaves.

Therefore Will is now the captain of the Flying Dutchman. Elizabeth is heartbroken, thinking Will is dead, but as the Flying Dutchman emerges from within the sea, Will is alive and the crew has returned to normal. The pirates of the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman then turn to face Cutler Beckett, and blow his ship apart, sinking it down to the watery depths. Beckett himself is consumed in the explosion and his body is blown overboard.

"There's more than one way to live forever. Gents, I give you the Fountain of Youth."

- Barbossa to the crew of the Black Pearl

The pirates emerge victorious, but learn that the Flying Dutchman must stay in the undersea-world and can only come to shore for one day, every ten years. Will frees his father, but Bootstrap Bill decides to remain with his son on the ship of his own free will. Will and Elizabeth spend their "last day" together on a beach and she promises she will wait for him and keep his heart safe. After discovering that Barbossa has made off with the Black Pearl, Jack sails off in a dinghy. Barbossa attempts to show the crew where the Fountain of Youth is on Sao Feng's charts, but he discovers a large chunk has been removed from the charts by Jack himself. Jack begins his voyage to the Fountain of Youth himself singing, "Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!".

Epilogue
Ten years later, Elizabeth and her son, William Turner III watch the setting sun sink into horizon, and then a flash of green light as the Flying Dutchman reappears, signifying Will's return from the Land of the Dead.
 * In the film, it is unclear whether Elizabeth's supposed fidelity would allow Will to be with her. Later, the writers, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, confirmed that the flash of green light seen at the end is the sign that Will's soul has returned to the world of the living, and that they can live together as a family; with their one day stretched to a lifetime.

Cast

 * Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow: Sparrow and the Black Pearl have been dragged to Davy Jones' Locker by the Kraken and is trapped there until his former crew mounts a rescue party.
 * Orlando Bloom as William "Will" Turner Jr.: A young blacksmith turned pirate, the son of "Bootstrap Bill" Turner and the later husband of Elizabeth Swann.
 * Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann: Governor Swann’s daughter and Will Turner's fiancée. Having tricked Jack Sparrow into being swallowed by the Kraken to save herself and the Black Pearl crew, she subsequently goes to his rescue.
 * Geoffrey Rush as Captain Hector Barbossa: Once first mate of the Black Pearl under Jack's command before leading a mutiny, Barbossa has been resurrected by Tia Dalma to captain the rescue of Jack Sparrow. He was also needed for his "piece of eight" to free Calypso. Rush said that in the film, Barbossa becomes more of a cunning politician. Depp said he was pleased he got more screentime with Rush than in the first film: "We're like a couple of old ladies fighting over their knitting needles".
 * Bill Nighy as Davy Jones: Malevolent ruler of the ocean realm, captain of The Flying Dutchman. With his heart captured by James Norrington, he is now enslaved to Cutler Beckett who commanded him to kill the Kraken ("your pet"), and now serves the East India Trading Company, though he remains volatile and makes life difficult for the marines policing him.
 * Tom Hollander as Cutler Beckett: A powerful agent of the East India Trading Co. and now armed with a mandate from the King and in possession of Davy Jones' heart, Beckett attempts to control the world's oceans for the sake of sustainable business - and with it, the end of piracy.
 * Jack Davenport as James Norrington: Promoted to the rank of Admiral in return for giving Beckett Jones' heart, he has allied himself with Beckett and the Company, although he still cares for Elizabeth, his former fiancée, and finds himself torn between his duty and his growing dislike for Beckett. Despite having been a major character in Dead Man's Chest, Davenport's role was greatly reduced.
 * Chow Yun-fat as Sao Feng: Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, he captains the Chinese ship The Empress and has a poor history with Sparrow. He is reluctant to aid in his rescue from Davy Jones' Locker. "Sao Feng" (嘯風) means "Howling Wind" in Chinese. Chow was confirmed to be playing Feng in July 2005 while production of the second film was on hiatus. Chow relished playing the role, even helping out crew members with props.
 * Naomie Harris as Tia Dalma/Calypso: An obeah witch who travels with the Black Pearl crew to rescue Jack, she also raised Hector Barbossa from the dead at the conclusion of Dead Man's Chest and has a mysterious past connection to Davy Jones.
 * Stellan Skarsgård as Bootstrap Bill Turner: Will's father, cursed to serve an eternity aboard Davy Jones' ship The Flying Dutchman. As he slowly loses hope, he also loses his humanity to the ship, and becomes mentally confused, barely recognizing his own son in the second half of the film.
 * Kevin McNally as Joshamee Gibbs: Jack's loyal, if superstitious first mate.
 * Keith Richards as Captain Teague: Keeper of the Pirata Codex for the Brethren Court and Jack Sparrow's father. The other pirate lords are visibly terrified of him. Richards, who partially inspired Johnny Depp's portrayal of Sparrow, was meant to appear in Dead Man's Chest, but there was no room for him in the story, as well as his being tied up with a Rolling Stones tour. He almost missed filming a scene in At World's End following injuries sustained by falling out of a tree. In June 2006, Verbinski finally managed to make room in Richards' schedule to shoot that September.
 * Greg Ellis as Officer: As second-in-command to Lord Beckett.
 * Jonathan Pryce as Weatherby Swann: Governor of Port Royal and father to Elizabeth Swann, he is now trapped in Beckett's service.
 * Lee Arenberg and Mackenzie Crook as Pintel and Ragetti: A mischievous and eccentric duo, part of Jack's crew.
 * David Bailie as Cotton: Jack's loyal mute crewman who returns again to join the quest to bring back Sparrow.
 * Martin Klebba as Marty: Jack's dwarf crewman who also joins the quest to bring back Sparrow.
 * Christopher S. Capp voices Cotton's parrot: A blue and yellow macaw that Cotton has inexplicably trained to speak for him.
 * "Boo-Boo" and "Mercedes" act as Jack the Monkey: Hector Barbossa's pet Capuchin monkey. The monkeys cast as Jack were hard to work with due to short attention span and had to be struck by squirt guns - which caused Geoffrey Rush to also be struck a few times. Boo-Boo is a twelve-year-old male and Mercedes a ten-year-old female.

Production
Following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ' s success in 2003, the cast and crew signed on for two sequels to be shot back-to-back. For the third film, director Gore Verbinski wanted to return the tone to that of a character piece after using the second film to keep the plot moving. Inspired by the real-life confederation of pirates, Elliott and Rossio looked at historical figures and created fictional characters from them to expand the scope beyond the main cast. Finally embellishing their mythology, Calypso was introduced, going full circle to Barbossa's mention of "heathen gods" that created the curse in the first film.

Parts of the third film were shot during location filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, a long shoot which finished on March 1, 2006. During August 2005, the Singapore sequence was shot. The set was built on Stage 12 of the Universal backlot, and comprised 40 structures within an 80 by 130-foot (24 by 40-m) tank that was 42 inches deep. As 18th century Singapore is not a well-documented era, the filmmakers chose to use an Expressionist style based on Chinese and Malaysian cities of the same period. The design of the city was also intended by Verbinski to parody spa culture, with fungi growing throughout the set. Continuing this natural feel, the floorboards of Sao Feng's bathhouse had to be cut by hand, and real humidity was created by the combination of gallons of water and the lighting equipment on the set.

Filming resumed on August 3, 2006 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and continued until early 2007 for 70 days off the California coast, as all the shooting required in the Caribbean had been conducted in 2005. Davy Jones' Locker was shot at Utah, and it was shot in a monochromatic way to represent its different feeling from the usual colorful environment of a pirate. The climactic battle was shot in a former air hangar at Palmdale, California, where the cast had to wear wetsuits underneath their costumes on angle-tipped ships. The water-drenched set was kept in freezing temperatures, to make sure bacteria did not come inside and infect the crew. A second unit shot at Niagara Falls. Industrial Light & Magic did 750 effects shots, while Digital Domain also took on 300. They spent just five months finishing the special effects. The film posed numerous challenges in creating water-based effects.

Filming finished on December 12, 2006 in Molokai, and the first assembly cut was three hours. Twenty minutes were removed, not including end credits, though producer Jerry Bruckheimer maintained that the long running time was needed to make the final battle work in terms of build-up. Hans Zimmer composed the score as he did for the previous film, composing eight new motifs including a new love theme for the At World's End soundtrack. He scored scenes as the editors began work, so as to influence their choice of cutting to the music. Gore Verbinski helped on the score. He played the guitar in the parley scene between Barbossa, Sparrow, Elizabeth and Will, Davy Jones, and Cutler Beckett. He also co-wrote the song "Hoist the Colours" with Zimmer.

Release
The world premiere of At World's End was held on May 19, 2007, at Disneyland, home of the ride that inspired the film and where the first two films in the trilogy debuted. Disneyland offered the general public a chance to attend the premiere through the sale of tickets, priced at $1,500 per ticket, with proceeds going to the Make-a-Wish Foundation charity.Just a few weeks before the film's release, Walt Disney Pictures decided to move the United States opening of At World's End from screenings Friday, May 25, 2007 to Thursday at 8 PM, May 24, 2007. The film opened in 4,362 theaters domestically, beating Spider-Man 3's theater opening record by 110 (this record was surpassed by The Dark Knight the following year).

Marketing
After a muted publicity campaign, the trailer finally debuted at ShoWest 2007. It was shown on March 18, 2007 at a special screening of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl named "Pirates Ultimate Fan Event", and was then shown on March 19 during Dancing with the Stars, before it debuted online. Action figures by NECA were released in late April.Board games such as a Collector’s Edition Chess Set, a Monopoly Game, and a Pirates Dice Game (Liar's dice) were also released. Master Replicas have made sculptures of characters and replicas of jewellery and the Dead Man's Chest. A video game with the same title as the film was released on May 22, 2007 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PSP, PlayStation 2, PC, and Nintendo DS formats. The soundtrack and its remix were also released on May 22.

Censorship
At least one nation's official censors have ordered scenes cut from the film. According to Xinhua, the state news agency of the People's Republic of China, ten minutes of footage containing Chow Yun-fat's portrayal of Singaporean pirate Sao Feng have been trimmed from versions of the film which may be shown in China. Chow is onscreen for twenty minutes in the uncensored theatrical release of the film. No official reason for the censorship was given, but unofficial sources within China have indicated that the character gave a negative and stereotypical portrayal of the Chinese people.

Home media
The one-disc and two-disc re-edited versions of the Region 2 DVD were released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment in the UK on November 19, 2007, on both standard DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats. The film was released on DVD in Australia on November 21, 2007, and released on December 4, 2007 in the United States and Canada. The 2-Disc Limited Edition DVD was in continuous circulation until it stopped on September 30, 2008. In contrast, the Blu-ray Disc release, containing all of the features from the 2-Disc DVD version (including some original scenes from the theatrical release, but excluding the writer's commentary) is still widely available. The initial Blu-ray Disc release was misprinted on the back of the box as 1080i, although Disney confirmed it to be 1080p. Disney has decided not to recall the misprinted units, but will fix the error on subsequent printings. DVD sales brought in $296,043,871 in revenue marking the best-selling DVD of 2007, although it ranks second in terms of units sold (14,496,242) behind Transformers.

DVD release
At World's End was released on Disney DVD and Blu-Ray on December 4, 2007. Extra features comprise:

Disc 1: Disc 2:
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
 * Bloopers of the Caribbean
 * Anatomy of a Scene: The Maelstrom - a detailed breakdown of one of cinema's most complex and impressive action set pieces
 * Keith & the Captain - A revealing look at the dynamic relationship between living legends Keith Richards and Johnny Depp
 * Tale of the Multiple Jacks - an in-depth look at the mind-blowing FX that went into creating multiple Captain Jacks
 * Hoist the Colors - reveals the inspiration for the "Hoist the Colors" original composition
 * Masters of Design - five individual documentaries highlighting the talented design teams behind this immense production.
 * 1) Crash McCreery and the Cursed Crew
 * 2) Rick Heinrichs and the Singapore Set
 * 3) Penny Rose and the Captain Teague Costumes
 * 4) Chris Peck and the Pirate Code Book
 * Inside the Brethren Court - a closer look at the legendary Pirate Lords and their costume designs, origins and unique personalities
 * The Pirate Code: Revealed - explores the pirate code and the history of piracy
 * The World of Chow Yun Fat - a look at the man behind devious Captain Sao Feng, international sensation Chow Yun Fat, and his meteoric rise to fame
 * The Pirate Maestro: The Music of Hans Zimmer - - meet the renowned composer who created the film's rousing score

Additionally, the Two-Disc Blu-ray release features a Jolly Roger Host (BD-Java Exclusive) on disc one and an additional featurette, "Enter the Maelstrom", on disc two. The single-disc DVD release is set to contain an audio commentary and "Bloopers of the Caribbean" with the feature film.

Broadcating Rights
On February 14, 2008, USA Network bought the rights to broadcast the movies on television. 

Novelization
A junior novelization of the film was released before the film was, although several details are missing. Though Sao Feng's death and Elizabeth becoming captain, the Kraken's death at the hands of Jones by the order of Beckett, the revelation hat whoever kills Jones must take his place and Jack's plans to do this to become immortal are all included, as well as mention of releasing Calypso and that it was she who was in love with Jones, the following details/scenes are cut:


 * Governor Weatherby Swann's death
 * Norrington's death
 * Tia Dalma revealed to be Calypso
 * Captain Teague and the dog with the keys
 * Elizabeth being elected as the pirate king
 * The entire fight at the end with Davy Jones at the maelstrom, as well as the fight with Beckett, and the aftermath. The book ends after they release Calypso when the pirates are getting ready to fight Jones and the East India Trading Company.

Critical response
As with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, At World's End received mixed reviews. The most common criticism of the film from reviewers was that the plot was too convoluted for them to follow. In review aggregate websites, At World's End has a "Rotten" rating of 44% on Rotten Tomatoes and 50% at Metacritic. Favorable reviewer Alex Billington noted, "This is just how the film industry works nowadays; critics give bad opinions, the public usually has a differing opinion, and all is well in the world of Hollywood since the studios made their millions anyway."

Drew McWeeny was an exception, praising its complexity as giving it repeat-viewing value, and its conclusion as "perhaps the most canny move it makes." Todd Gilchrist found the story too similar to other cinematic trilogies such as Star Wars but praised the production values. Brian Lowry felt that "unlike last year's bloated sequel, it at least possesses some semblance of a destination, making it slightly more coherent - if no less numbing during the protracted finale." Total Film praised the performances but complained that the twists and exposition made it hard to care for the characters. Edward Douglas liked the film but had issues with its pacing, while Blake Wright criticized the Davy Jones' Locker and Calypso segments. James Berardinelli found it the weakest of the trilogy as "the last hour offers adventure as rousing as anything provided in either of the previous installments... which doesn't account for the other 108 minutes of this gorged, self-indulgent, and uneven production." Peter Travers praised Richards and Rush but felt "there can indeed be too much of a good thing," regarding Depp's character.Travers later declared the movie to be one of the worst films of the year. Colm Andrew of the Manx Independent said the film was overall a disappointment and that "the final showdown ... is a non-event and the repetitive swordplay and inane plot contrivances simply become boring by the end".

Chow Yun-fat's character stirred a great deal of controversy with the Chinese press. Perry Lam, of Hong Kong cultural magazine, Muse, found the striking resemblance between Chow's character and Fu Manchu offensive: "Now Fu Manchu has returned after an absence of 27 years in the Hollywood cinema; except that, in a nod to political correctness and marketing realities, he is no longer called Fu Manchu."

Box office
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End earned $309,420,425 in North America and $654,000,000 in other countries for a worldwide total of $963,420,425. Worldwide, it is the 15th highest-grossing film, the highest-grossing film of 2007 and the third highest-grossing film in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Compared to its predecessor, it grossed far less at the North American box office, but more outside North America. Still, its worldwide earnings are more than $100 million below Dead Man's Chest ' s. On its worldwide opening weekend it grossed $344.0 million, making it the seventh-largest opening.

North America
At World's End was released in a then record 4,362 theaters in North America and was shown on around 11,500 screens which is still an all-time record. On its first 3-day weekend, it earned $114,732,820. It set a Memorial Day 4-day weekend record ($139,802,190), which it still retains. This record was previously held by X-Men: The Last Stand. Including Thursday night previews, as well, At World's End earned $153,042,234 in 5 days. It is the fourth highest-grossing film of 2007.> Of May's Big Three as they were called (Spider-Man 3, Shrek 3 and Pirates 3), Pirates 3 grossed the least both during its opening weekend and in total earnings. However, this was mainly attributed to the fact that it was released third, after the other two films, so there was already too much competition. It is also the second highest-grossing film in the series.

Outside North America
It is the twelfth highest-grossing film, the fourth-largest film distributed by Disney, and the second highest-grossing film in the series. During its opening weekend, it grossed an estimated $216 million, which stands as the sixth biggest opening outside North America. It set opening weekend records in South Korea with $16.7 million (surpassed by Transformers: Dark of the Moon), Russia and the CIS with $14.0 million (first surpassed by Samy luchshiy film) and Spain with $11.9 million (surpassed by The Impossible). It dominated for three consecutive weekends at the box office outside North America. By June 12, 2007 -its 20th day of release- the film had grossed $500 million, breaking Spider-Man 3's record for reaching that amount the fastest. This record was first overtaken by Avatar (15 days to $500 million).Its highest-grossing countries after North America are Japan, where it earned $91.1 million and became the last Hollywood film to earn more than 10 million yen before Avatar,the UK, Ireland and Malta ($81.4 million) and Germany ($59.4 million).

Accolades
At the 80th Academy Awards, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End was nominated for two awards, Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects. However, it didn't win either of the two, losing the former to La Vie en Rose and the latter to The Golden Compass.

At the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, the film was nominated for three awards, including one win: the Best Comedic Performance (Johnny Depp). At the 34th People's Choice Awards, it was nominated for five awards, including four wins: Favorite Movie, Favorite Threequel, Favorite Male Movie Star (Johnny Depp) and Favorite Female Action Star (Keira Knightley). Also, at the Teen Choice Awards it won five awards, out of six nominations. Finally, at the 2008 Kids' Choice Awards, it achieved three nominations but won only the Favorite Movie Actor award (Jack Sparrow).