The day that the title of the fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film was announced to be Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, we posted an article in which we talked about the speculation that the movie would be based on author Tim Powers’ 1987 novel with the same name about pirates and the Fountain of Youth.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Powers confirms that Disney optioned the book almost three years ago. But what will they use from the book? Here’s a clip:
“I’ve watched all the movies several times, of course, and I think the clear thing they would use is the trip to the Fountain of Youth,” Powers said. “My main character doesn’t overlap with Jack Sparrow at all [in personality or circumstance]; they’re totally different characters. I suppose they might overlap the Geoffrey Rush character Barbossa and Blackbeard. The only thing I feel certain they will hold on to is the Fountain of Youth since they telegraphed that at the end of the last movie.”
You can read more of his comments here. Empire magazine also has more quotes from co-writer Terry Rossio who says the script isn’t necessarily based on the book but that they do use elements of the novel:
“We wanted to do a story about Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth, and Tim Powers wrote a book about Blackbeard and the Fountain of Youth… it just turns out that to do that story you would need that book. It’s a brilliant and Tim Powers is an amazing writer – and it’s a great title. It allows us to draw material from that universe and his expertise.”
The studio is targeting a Summer 2011 release for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
