The film
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES is the fourth installement in the
Pirates series. In this adventure Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) goes in search of the Fountain of Youth. Anyone who drinks from the fountain will become young again. New characters in this chapter are Bluebeard (Ian McShane) and his daughter Angelica (Penélope Cruz).
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 1:11:25 |
According to a legend the Spanish explorer and conquistador Ponce de León was looking for the Fountain of Youth in 1513. Apparently he went to Florida and Bimini, one of the islands of the Bahamas, but never found it. In the film, King George II (Richard Griffiths) orders Captain Jack to lead an expedition to find the fountain before the Spanish king and his navy can locate it.
With the exception of a few scenes in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean was not part of the location shoot. Instead Hawaii was chosen, where filming started on 14 June 2010 on the island of Kaua'i. After 30 days production continued in O'ahu before moving to Los Angeles in August.
O’ahu is first seen when a group of mermaids attack the rowing boat in which some of the crew members are sitting. They are looking for tears from a mermaid, according to the legend also needed when drinking from the Fountain of Youth. These scenes were filmed at night at the Kawela Bay near the Turtle Bay Resort in the northern part of the island. The sea was pretty rough and filming would be completed in Los Angeles.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 1:01:46 |
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| Kawela Bay, O'ahu, 12 June 2017 |
The following morning, Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) arrives at the beach where the battle with the mermaids took place. An old rival of Captain Jack, he is now employed by the British Navy. The beach with wreckage and dead mermaids is Hālona Cove. The scene was filmed on 15 July 2010, the lighthouse was added digitally. The beach is located close to the Kalaniana'ole Highway in the southeast of the island. Over the years Hālona Cove has appeared in numerous films, including the classic
From Here to Eternity and more recently
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. To reach the beach a small climb down is needed.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 1:09:44 |
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| Hālona Cove, O'ahu, 11 June 2017 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 1:09:57 |
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| Hālona Cove, O'ahu, 11 June 2017 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 1:10:39 |
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| Hālona Cove, O'ahu, 11 June 2017 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 1:10:45 |
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| Hālona Cove, O'ahu, 11 June 2017 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 1:10:47 |
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| Hālona Cove, O'ahu, 11 June 2017 |
Close to Hālona Cove, along the same highway, is Lāna'i Lookout. This viewpoint is formed by whimsical lava rocks. The warning sign not to walk here is ignored by everyone. This location can be seen twice in the film. The first time, Jack Sparrow's expedition lands here with the captured mermaid Syrena (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey). At end of the movie Hector Barbossa looks out on Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of Bluebeard, and becomes a pirate again.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 1:11:10 |
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| Lāna’i Lookout, O'ahu, 11 June 2017 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 1:11:15 |
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| Lāna’i Lookout, O'ahu, 11 June 2017 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 2:04:42 |
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| Lāna’i Lookout, O'ahu, 11 June 2017 |
The scene in which Philip Swift (Sam Claflin), one of the expedition members, frees the mermaid was filmed at the banyan tree near the Turtle Bay Resort. Banyans can be recognized by the long thin roots that grow from the branches. As soon as the roots touch the ground, a new tree grows here. What looks like a forest is actually one banyan. Especially for the film a pool was dug for the mermaid and removed after filming was completed. A sign indicates that the television series
Lost and this movie were filmed here.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 1:52:48 |
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| Banyan tree, O'ahu, 12 June 2017 |
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides, 2:01:01 |
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| Banyan tree, O'ahu, 12 June 2017 |
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| The Banyan Tree sign, O'ahu, 12 June 2017 |
Screenshots © Walt Disney Pictures
