Why Zoe Saldaña’s Pirates Of The Caribbean Filming Experience Is “Not Worth Repeating”

Zoe Saldaña reveals her thoughts about working on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and why she is glad she did not return for subsequent films. Based on the Walt Disney theme park attraction of the same name, 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl kick-started a multi-billion dollar franchise with Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow as the series lead. In the franchise’s first outing, Saldaña played the pirate Anamaria, former owner of the ship Jack Sparrow stole and sailed into Port Royal harbor as it sunk.

Speaking with Buzzfeed UK, Saldaña reflects on some of her most iconic roles, including her time spent sailing under Depp’s Jack Sparrow. While remaining proud of her work on the film and the quality of the final product, the actor explains that it was a “hard production” to work on and that the sheer size of it made it a difficult experience. She also clarifies whether her character was originally intended to appear in later installments. Check out her comments below:

What a great movie, it really was fun and entertaining and very well shot, very well performed. It was all around such a diverse cast as well, all ages, all walks of life. But a hard production, it was just so big. It was too big of a machine for me, and it was too out of control. So when I see what transpired on screen, I’m very proud of [it]. Though how difficult it was to get there, I don’t ever want to go back.

I was only asked to be part of one and then, you know, and then that was it. Maybe they chose to go in a different direction. If [having her character return] was certainly the goal in the beginning, it didn’t transpire by the end of the production and I’m happy it didn’t. There was just a lot of politics that you would have had to navigate, and I just felt really lost and very small in that big machine. But I’m happy for all the actors that benefited from this, because they certainly did and they went off to have amazing careers. And I followed their careers and felt really inspired, but for me, it was definitely an experience not worth repeating.

Why Zoe Saldaña Not Returning For Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Is A Missed Opportunity

When Saldaña first appeared opposite Captain Jack Sparrow in 2003, she was still relatively early on in her career and had yet to become a household name. However, thanks to her breakout roles in both 2009’s Star Trek and Avatar, Saldaña has risen to become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars. Having appeared in three of the world’s highest-grossing films of all time, her box office appeal combined with her considerable talent would make her an attractive potential addition to any big-name franchise.

With Disney currently attempting to breathe fresh life back into their Pirates of the Caribbean series, perhaps attempting to court Saldaña back in a much bigger role may be exactly what the series needs. With question marks still hanging over whether Depp will return in Pirates of the Caribbean 6, having Saldaña’s Anamaria return as a new protagonist may be a way to link the series’ past with its future. Moreover, re-establishing Saldaña as a female captain of the Black Pearl could also potentially set the stage for a crossover with Margot Robbie’s own planned spinoff.

Yet from Saldaña’s comments, it would seem she would be reluctant to return to the franchise in any capacity after her time on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Perhaps Disney could still find a way to persuade her to come back, and it is likely the more established star would have a much bigger voice in the film’s daunting machinery if she did. Despite her understandable hesitation, the franchise could benefit from having Saldaña make her return.

Source: Buzzfeed UK