BURBANK, California, May 26 /PRNewswire/ --
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," the epic new adventure from Walt Disney Pictures, boosted its worldwide gross-to-date to US$142.5 million, and set a new record for The Walt Disney Studios at the worldwide box office, it was announced today by Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Marketing and Distribution. Domestically, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" sailed into Saturday ahead of last year's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" with US$57 million at 4,362 theatres to date. Now playing in 102 international territories, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" added US$44.4 million on Friday for a new cume of US$85.5 million, which also stands as a Studio record.
Commenting on the announcement, Zoradi said, "Moviegoers all over the world are turning out in record numbers to see 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," and we're thrilled with our landmark opening day gross. This is the biggest Friday our company has ever had and we're definitely on track to having our best box office weekend ever. Reports continue to pour in from all over the world as to how well this film is playing, and we're delighted that word-of-mouth is clearly translating into record results at the box office."
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" picks up where the record-breaking 2006 smash hit left off, with our heroes Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) allied with Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) in a desperate quest to free Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from his mind-bending trap in Davy Jones' locker. With the terrifying ghost ship, The Flying Dutchman, and its commander Davy Jones under the control of the East India Trading Company, there is havoc on the Seven Seas. Navigating through treachery, betrayal and wild waters, the heroic trio must forge their way to exotic Singapore and confront the cunning Pirate Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat). Now headed beyond the very ends of the earth, each must ultimately choose a side in a final titanic battle -- as not only their lives and fortunes, but the entire future of the freedom-loving Pirate way hangs in the balance. The film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Gore Verbinski from a screenplay written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio.
