7 Facts About The First 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Movie That Are Either Madness, Or Brilliance

It is almost impossible to imagine that the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out 15 years ago. The film was a smash hit, and fans across the seven seas began brushing up on their pirate lingo until we were all savvy with it!

The story of cursed pirate treasure and the charismatic Captain Jack Sparrow led to a stunning success in the box office, and four sequels to date! But how much do you really know about the legendary pilot that started it all?

Check out these 7 facts about the Curse of the Black Pearl, or walk the plank!

Young Wench

She may have held her own in the "parley" scenes, but did you know that Keira Knightley was only 17-years-old when portraying Elizabeth Swan?

Ghost Stories

The screenwriters actually pitched the script to producers in 1993, ten years before the movie came out! Apparently, the paranormal aspect to a pirate story is what hooked executives onto the idea!

Rags To Riches

In preparation for filming, the studio hired 30 hairstylists, 50 makeup artists, and a whole special effects team to design 900 wardrobe pieces for the actors and extras.

"That's Captain Jack Sparrow"

While it seems impossible to imagine the series without Johnny Depp's zany personality dominating the plot line, he wasn't the writers first choice. Apparently, the role of Captain Jack Sparrow was created specifically for Hugh Jackman. It was a good change, mate.

Keep reading to find out what happened to all that cursed Aztec treasure!

Spiritually? Economically? Grammatically?

Depp famously mixed around some of his lines to make them more funny and flow better, and he actually introduced the catchphrase "Savvy?" to the script!

He also ad-libbed one of the last lines in the film, "Bring me that horizon" for dramatic effect.

"What's in your head, boy?"

In an ironic turn of events, director Gore Verbinski had actually seen the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland as a child. He was utterly terrified of the ride, and it seems he was able to carry that feeling onto the big screen!

The Curse Lives On

At the end of production, the cast and crew were allowed to take some props home from the set. At the end of the day, there wasn't a single cursed coin left in the trunk...

Share with someone who remembers the first time they laid eyes on the Black Pearl!