Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest
with the courtesey of Nevoreiel
here still with her introduction
Screenplay by Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott
For everyone’s reading pleasure, here is the script for “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Dead Man’s Chest”. This one took six days to type up by ear and I think I managed to hurt my elbow in the process. So there will certainly be mistakes and there is a large share of missed words entirely. At this point, corrections are very welcome and should be taken care of in a timely fashion: e-mail me with your comments, corrections (‘– (??)’ or some such mark indicates missing words or uncertain phrases), etc. Post it wherever you want, just give me credit. I must also say that I had nothing to do with the actual writing of the script or any other aspect of the movie. I do not know any of the people involved, including the actors.
Other Notes (please read before e-mailing me, maybe your query has been already answered): – Foreign languages were treated thus: the French that was spoke I tried my best to write it out in a way that sounded as the words being said and made sense grammatically at the same time. Any correction from fluent speaker are welcome. The two foreign sailors on the first ship we see taken by the Kraken are speaking a language I can’t identify, so impossible to transcribe. And the cannibal’s speech was taken down phonetically as it seems a made up language. – Its companion, the script to The Curse of the Black Pearl, is still up and has been recoded to allow for easier reading.
SCRIPT LAST UPDATED: July 25th, 2006 (11:48 pm EST) POSTED ON: July 22nd, 2006 Nevoreiel
*****
Scene 1: (The interrupted wedding and the arrests)
[Port Royal – It’s raining and the wedding reception area is deserted except for the bride, Elizabeth, sitting on her haunches facing the ocean, bouquet of lowers in her hands, hair and dress soaking; ships with the East India Trading Company insignia on their flags anchor in the bay, long boats sail ashore; on one there is a horse and rider; the soldiers swarm the smithy and Elizabeth rushes off as she must have been just told of the soldiers]
Elizabeth [Will is in irons, surrounded by East India Trading Company soldiers] Will. Why is this happening?
Will I don’t know. [pause] You look beautiful.
Elizabeth I think it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.
Governor Swann Make way. Let me through! [pushes past the soldiers towards the couple, is barred by crossed spears] How dare you! Stand your men down at once! Do you hear me?
Beckett [a soldier helps him take off his coat] Governor Weatherby Swann, it’s been too long.
Governor Swann Cutler Beckett?
Beckett It’s Lord now. Actually.
Governor Swann [the spears are uncrossed, he makes his way towards Beckett] Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to arrest this man. [motions to Will]
Beckett In fact, I do. Mr. Mercer? [Mercer brings a wooden box to Beckett]
Beckett [takes out a paper] The warrant for the arrest of one William Turner. [hands it over to Governor Swann]
Governor Swann [looks at it, looks again] This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann!
Beckett Oh, is it? That’s annoying, my mistake… [takes paper back] Arrest her.
Elizabeth [soldiers grab her] On what charges?!
Will [Will moves to stop them] No!
Beckett Aha, here’s the one for William Turner. [hands another other paper over; Governor Swann looks at it in disbelief] And I have another one for a Mr. James Norrington. Is he present?
Elizabeth What are the charges?
Governor Swann Commodore Norrington resigned his commission some months ago.
Beckett I don’t believe that was the answer to the question I asked.
Will Lord Beckett, in the category of questions not answered –
Elizabeth We are under the jurisdiction of the King’s governor of Port Royal and you Will tell us what we are charged with.
Governor Swann The charge… is conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown and Empire and condemned to death for which the… [the Governor breaks off]
Beckett For which the punishment, regrettably, is also death. [he steps up to Will] Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow.
Will and Elizabeth: [chorus forcefully] Captain!
Elizabeth Captain Jack Sparrow.
Beckett Captain Jack Sparrow. Yes, I thought you might.
Scene 2: (Jack’s 2nd spectacular entrance and a drawing of a key)
[on the Peal] Gibbs: 50 men on a dead man’s chest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Drink and the devil had done (??) for rest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Ha ha ha ha ha! [drinks from the bottle in his had; an ominous gong sounds and a pack of crows flies overhead]
[Pirate prison – a whimpering and screaming prisoner is dragged inside, his ankles rubbed raw from manacles; a crow plucks an eye from another who is hanging in an iron cage; the doors close; on the crag nearby, surf breaking on the rocks below, mean are throwing coffins into the waves; we follow a particular one as it floats away; a crow settles on the lid and starts pecking at it until it is blown away by a pistol shot that comes from inside the coffin; a hand holding a pistol emerges and swings around in case anyone else should be about before retreating; Jack sparrow breaks through the flimsy wood, re-shapes his favorite hat, and puts it on his head]
Jack [he looks around before reaching back into the coffin] Sorry, mate. [with a crack, he breaks off a skeleton’s leg and uses it as a paddle] Do you mind if we make a little side trip? I didn’t think so.
Gibbs [helps Jack up on board and gets the skeleton leg in return] Not quite according to plan.
Jack Complications arose, ensued, were overcome. [walks towards the helm]
Gibbs [hands the leg to Cotton standing next to him and follows Jack] You got what you went in for, then?
Jack Muhuh. [waves around a rolled up piece of cloth and is met by a disgruntled looking Crew]
Gibbs Captain, I think the Crew – meaning me, as well – were expecting something a bit more… [he shakes his hands at chest level as if visualizing] shiny. What with the Isla de Muerta going all pear-shapes, reclaimed by the sea and the treasure with it.
Pirate #1: And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic.
Marty And the hurricane! [everyone voice agreement]
Gibbs All in all, it seems some time since we did a speck of honest pirating.
Jack Shiny?
Gibbs Aye, shiny.
Jack Is that how you’re all feeling, then? Perhaps dear ol’ Jack is not serving your best interests as Captain?
Cotton’s parrot: Awk, walk the plank. [Cotton puts a hand over it’s beak before it continue]
Jack [cocks his pistol and aims it at the parrot] What did the bird say?!
Pirate #1: Do not blame the bird. Show us, what is on that piece of cloth there. [everyone looks pointedly at the roll of cloth in Jack’s hand before the moment is broken by Barbossa’s undead monkey dropping down in front of Jack and taking the cloth; it manages to run a bit before Jack shoots it and it drops the cloth]
Gibbs You know that don’t do no good.
Jack It does me.
Marty [picks up the unrolled cloth] It’s a key.
Jack [takes it from him] No, much more better! It is a drawing of a key. [unfolds it and shows it to the Crew; everyone stares in silence and Jack seems disconcerted] Gentlemen, what do keys do?
Pirate #1: Keys… unlock things?
Gibbs And whatever this key unlocks, inside there’s something valuable. So, we’re setting out to find whatever this key unlocks!
Jack No. [Gibbs looks confused] We don’t have the key, we can’t open whatever it is we don’t have that it unlocks. So, what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don’t have, without first having found the key what unlocks it.
Gibbs So, we’re going after this key!
Jack You’re not making any sense at all. [Gibbs looks even more baffled] Any more questions?
Marty So… Do we have a heading?
Jack Ah! [goes for his compass] A heading. Set sail in a… [the compass needle swings this way and that without stopping and Jack’s finger follows it] general… [picks a random direction] that way direction!
Gibbs Captain?
Jack Come on. Snap to and make sail, you know how this works. Oi, oi! [shoos pirates out of his way as he walks to his cabin]
Marty I’ve notice lately, the Captain seem to be acting a bit strange…er. [shrugs]
Gibbs Setting sail without knowing his own heading, something’s got Jack vexed. You mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow, bodes ill for us all.
Scene 3: (Negotiations and time’s up)
[back in Port Royal a map is being painted; Will is led into Beckett’s office still shackled]
Soldier Lord Beckett, the prisoner as ordered, sir.
Beckett Those won’t be necessary. [points out the chains, the soldier nods, and undoes the chains; Beckett pours them drinks] The East India Trading Company has need of your services. [hands Will a drink and puts it down when Will does not take it] We wish for you to act as our agent in a business transaction with our mutual friend – Captain Sparrow.
Will More acquaintance than friend. How do you know him?
Beckett We’ve had dealings in the past. [holds up a red-hot ‘P’ brand] And we’ve each left our mark on the other.
Will What mark did he leave on you?
Beckett [ignores the question and places the brand back in the fireplace] By your efforts, Jack Sparrow was set free. I would like you to go to him and recover a certain property in his possession.
Will Recover. At the point of a sword?
Beckett Bargain. [opens his wooden box with the East India Trading Company insignia and removes a leather case and takes out a few sheaves of paper] Letters of Marque. You Will offer what amounts to a full pardon – Jack Will be free, a privateer in the employ of England.
Will Somehow I doubt Jack Will consider employment the same as being free.
Beckett [scoffs softly] Freedom. [puts the papers away and walks out onto the balcony; Will follows] Jack Sparrow is a dying breed. The world is shrinking. The blank edges of the map filled in. Jack must find his place in the New World or perish. Not unlike you, Mr. Turner. You and your fiancée face the hangman’s noose.
Will So you get both Jack and the Black Pearl.
Beckett The Black Pearl?
Will The property you want that he possesses.
Beckett A ship? Hardly. The item in question is considerably smaller and far more valuable. Something Sparrow keeps on his person at all times: a compass? [Will shows recognition on his face] Ah, you know it. Bring back that compass, or there’s no deal. [Beckett walks away]
[on The Black Pearl Jack is trying to chart the map, the pirate brand clearly visible; he taps the compass trying to get it to show a heading, but it refuses to cooperate]
Jack [picks up a rum bottle, turns it upside down, but it is empty] Why is the rum always gone? [he gets up and is wobbly on his feet] Oh… that’s why. [puts on his hat and heads to the stores, passing through the Crew quarters; the Crew is asleep and snoring] As you were, gents. [the stores look empty until Jack spots one more bottle, unfortunately it is filled with what looks like sand]
Bootstrap Time’s run out, Jack.
Jack [drops the bottle and moves closer, his lantern lighting the way] Bootstrap. Bill Turner?
Bootstrap [emerges from the shadows, barnacles covering his body and sea water spilling from his mouth] You look good, Jack.
Jack [stares at him] Is this a dream?
Bootstrap No.
