Disney began the 2010s at the start of a very different era than the one it found itself in just eight years prior. Marvel was in its clutches, a deal with LucasFilm was on the horizon and its seminal PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN franchise was launching the first of hopefully many sequels in the wake of Gore Verbinski’s expensive, polarizing trilogy. Disney wanted a cheaper budget, a simpler story, and even bigger grosses. In the end, they would get two out of three. This is 2011’s ON STRANGER TIDES.

Replacing Verbinski as director would be Academy Award-winner Rob Marshall, who quickly filled the film’s supporting cast with big names like Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane and Stephen Graham (as fan-favorite character Scrum).

Guest Phil Dragash had a dream for a very different fourth Pirates adventure, but as with many of the plans laid by Disney and company, destiny had other fates in mind.

FRANCHISOGRAPHY’S chronicle of one slow-moving boat ride’s journey to box office immortality takes a turn for the strange in this week’s epic episode.

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