Could Wolverine pull off Captain Jack Sparrow?!?
Aussie hunk Hugh Jackman was the inspiration behind — and original choice to play — the mischievous rum-loving “Pirates of the Caribbean” swashbuckler, according to Fox News.
“I initially wrote that character with Hugh Jackman in mind,” “Pirates” franchise screenwriter Stuart Beattie told Fox News’ Pop Tarts on Monday. “Hence the name Captain JACK Sparrow.”
At the time of “Pirates” casting, Hugh was a well-known actor Down Under, but wasn’t a big name stateside. Disney reportedly chose to “dismiss” Stuart’s suggestion, and seek out Johnny Depp for the role of Captain Jack.
“I spent ten years pitching [‘Pirates’] to Disney and they weren’t interested,” Stuart told Fox News. “Then finally, I got a call to come back in.”
Stuart’s persistence certainly paid off, as he went on to write “Collateral,” the epic “Australia” (starring Hugh and fellow Aussie Nicole Kidman), and “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra.”
In related “Pirates” news, Disney is reportedly in the beginning stages of planning a fifth and sixth addition to the enormously popular series, according to HitFix.
The site claims the films will be shot “back-to-back as one giant film,” then released as two separate films.
The fourth installment of the Johnny Depp-helmed franchise, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” is slated for release on May 20, 2011.
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