When the first installment of , , was being filmed, studio executives believed that the film would be a flop. They had no idea that the tale of a vengeful pirate and his accomplices would become so popular that it would spawn an entire franchise and become of the most financially successful film series in recent times.

Disney struck gold with , a franchise that has all the right elements for success: a captivating story, memorable characters, talented actors, and magical effects that take viewers right back to the days of the pirates. Keep reading to find out about 15 surprising Pirates of the Caribbean facts that even the biggest fans aren’t aware of.

15 Johnny Depp Based Captain Jack Sparrow On Keith Richards

The character of Captain Jack Sparrow has become one of the most memorable of Johnny Depp’s career. on Keith Richards, who is like an idol of his, because he believes that pirates were like rock stars of their time. Richards later appeared in the franchise as Sparrow’s father.

14 Keira Knightley’s Mother Had To Accompany Her To All Filming Locations In The Beginning Because She Was A Minor

When Keira Knightley was cast as Elizabeth Swann, she was still a minor at seventeen years old. Because of this, her mother had to accompany her to all shooting locations. At the time, Knightley had already starred in the major British film but had not yet experienced global fame.

13 Geoffrey Rush Was Worried About Filming With Keira Knightley Because He Believed No One Would Look At Him

Geoffrey Rush, who played Captain Barbossa, was worried about filming with Keira Knightley because he believed no one would pay attention to him when they were in the shot together. So, he decided to always appear on the left side of the shot, believing that audiences would naturally look from left to right and see him first.

12 Johnny Depp Improvised The Famous Last Line Of The First Film

One of the most famous lines of the first film, and of the whole franchise, is spoken by Captain Jack Sparrow. When he finally takes control of the Black Pearl again, he says “Now, bring me that horizon.” That line was actually totally improvised by Depp, but the filmmakers loved it and decided to keep it.

11 Disney Thought POTC Would Flop

franchise has become one of the most successful and profitable of all time. It’s hard to believe that the executives had very little faith in it when they first watched it. They were anticipating the film to be a flop, which goes to show you that you can’t always trust the experts.

10 Robert De Niro Turned Down The Role Of Captain Jack Sparrow Because He Thought The Film Would Do Poorly

It’s hard to picture anyone else starring as Captain Jack Sparrow, but Robert De Niro was offered the role before Johnny Depp. The acting legend turned it down because he too believed, just like the executives, that the pirate genre was over and the film would perform poorly at the box office.

9 Keira Knightley Had To Wear Padding In Her Chest

Several of the costumes worn by the cast of are interesting, to say the least. Keira Knightley has admitted that she actually had to wear padding in her chest to make it seem as if she had more cleavage than she really did. We can only imagine how uncomfortable that would have been!

8 During Filming, Johnny Depp Visited A School Dressed In His Costume To Advise The Students Against Mutiny

Captain Jack Sparrow has won Johnny Depp fans from all over the world. In 2010, one wrote to him, telling him that her classmates needed help to “mutiny” against her teachers. Depp then showed up to the London school in his costume without warning to advise the kids against mutiny.

7 Orlando Bloom Was Not Told That Jack And Elizabeth Would Kiss In The Second Film, So The Look On His Face Is Genuine

At the end of the second installment, Elizabeth kisses Jack Sparrow to distract him while she handcuffs him to the ship. Will Turner, played by Orlando Bloom, looks visibly shocked to see his lover kissing Jack. The look of surprise on Bloom’s face was genuine as he wasn’t told about the kiss.

6 Johnny Depp Had To Wear Contact Lenses To Play Jack Sparrow

If you pay close attention to , you’ll notice that there are several scenes in which Jack Sparrow has to look directly at the sun. Johnny Depp was actually given contact lenses to wear that acted like sunglasses, so he could face the sun comfortably without squinting.

5 The Cast And Crew Took All The Aztec Gold Home From The Set

The is filled with exciting and impressive props, from period outfits to buried treasure. The Aztec gold featured in the first film was one of the most highly sought-after props and when production wrapped, those working on the film who were allowed to take props home

4 The Role Of Jack Sparrow Was Written For Hugh Jackman

wasn’t the only other actor that filmmakers had in mind to play Captain Jack Sparrow. The role was actually written with Hugh Jackman in mind. In the end, the director decided to offer the role to Johnny Depp instead because he was slightly more well-known at the time.

3 Johnny Depp Thought He Was On The Verge Of Getting Fired Throughout Filming

Fans of the franchise love the way Depp portrayed Jack Sparrow, but during filming, the actor wasn’t so convinced that he was impressing anybody. He actually believed that he was on the verge of getting fired throughout filming because the Disney executives didn’t understand what he was doing with the character.

2 During Filming, Johnny Depp Bought Waterproof Jackets For 500 Crew Members

While some actors are a nightmare to work with on set, it seems that Johnny Depp is far from it. During the filming of , Depp purchased waterproof jackets for 500 crew members so they would be protected from the wet conditions. He spent more than $60,000 from his own pocket on the generous gifts.

1 The Three Main Characters Were Inspired By Birds

Eagle-eyed fans may have noticed that the three main characters all have something in common. Elizabeth Swann, Jack Sparrow, and Will Turner were all actually named after birds or bird-related figures! While most people are familiar with swans and sparrows, William Turner was a celebrated English naturalist who studied birds.