 Pirates of the Caribbean Posters
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 Filmmakers: Jerry Bruckheimer (Producer) Great stories, well told. They can be for audiences in darkened movie theatres or home living rooms. They can feature great movie stars or introduce new talent. They can be true adventure, broad comedy, heartbreaking tragedy, epic history, joyous romance or searing drama. They can be set in the distant or recent past, an only-imagined future or a familiar present. Whatever their elements, though, if they begin with a lightning bolt, they are stories being told by Jerry Bruckheimer (Producer), and they will be great stories, well told.
The numbers-of dollars and honors-are a matter of often-reported record. Bruckheimer's films have earned worldwide revenues of over $14.5 billion in box office, video and recording receipts. In the 2005-6 season he had a record-breaking nine series on network television. His films-15 of which exceeded the $100 million mark in U.S. box office receipts-have been acknowledged with 39 Academy Award nominations, six Oscars, eight Grammy Award nominations, five Grammys, 23 Golden Globe nominations, four Golden Globes, 53 Emmy Award nominations, 14 Emmys, 16 People's Choice nominations, 11 People's Choice Awards, 11 BAFTA nominations, two BAFTA Awards, numerous MTV Awards, including one for Best Picture of the Decade for Beverly Hills Cop and 14 Teen Choice Awards.
But the numbers exist only because of Bruckheimer's uncanny ability to find the stories and tell them on film. He is, according to the Washington Post, “the man with the golden gut.” He may have been born that way, but more likely, his natural gifts were polished to laser focus in the early years of his career. His first films were the 60-second tales he told as an award-winning commercial producer in his native Detroit. One of those mini-films, a parody of Bonnie and Clyde created for Pontiac, was noted for its
brilliance in Time Magazine and brought the 23-year-old producer to the attention of world-renowned ad agency BBD&O, which lured him to New York.
Four years on Madison Avenue gave him the experience and confidence to tackle Hollywood, and, not yet 30, he was at the helm of memorable films like Farewell, My Lovely, American Gigolo and 1983's Flashdance, which changed Bruckheimer's life by grossing $92 million in the U.S. alone and pairing him with Don Simpson, who would be his producing partner for the next 13 years.
Together the Simpson/Bruckheimer juggernaut produced one hit after another, including Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop, Bad Boys, Dangerous Minds and Crimson Tide. Box office success was acknowledged in both 1985 and 1988 when the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) named Bruckheimer Producer of the Year. And in 1988 the Publicists Guild of America chose him, along with Simpson, Motion Picture Showmen of the Year.
In 1996, Bruckheimer produced The Rock, re-establishing Sean Connery as an action star and turning an unlikely Nicolas Cage into an action hero. The Rock, named Favorite Movie of the Year by NATO, grossed $350 million worldwide and was Bruckheimer's last movie with Simpson, who died during production.
Now on his own, Bruckheimer followed in 1997 with Con Air, which grossed over $230 million, earned a Grammy and two Oscar nominations and brought its producer the ShoWest International Box Office Achievement Award for unmatched foreign grosses.
Then came Touchstone Pictures' megahit Armageddon, starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and Steve Buscemi. Directed by Michael Bay, it was the biggest movie of 1998, grossing nearly $560 million worldwide and introducing legendary rock band Aerosmith's first #1 single, “I Don't Want to Miss a Thing.”
By the end of the millennium, Bruckheimer had produced Enemy of the State, starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman and Gone in 60 Seconds, starring Cage, Angelina Jolie and Robert Duvall, both grossing over $225 million worldwide; Coyote Ugly, whose soundtrack album went triple platinum; and the NAACP Image Award-winning Remember the Titans, starring Denzel Washington. His peers in the Producers Guild of America acknowledged his genius with the David O. Selznick Award for Lifetime Achievement in Motion Pictures.
He began the 21st century with triple Oscar-nominee Pearl Harbor. Starring Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale and directed by Bay, the film was hailed by World War II veterans and scholars as a worthy re-creation of the event that brought the United States into the war. In addition to multiple award nominations and the Oscar for Best Sound Editing, it earned over $450 million in worldwide box office and has topped $250 million in DVD and video sales.
Black Hawk Down, the story of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, starred Hartnett, Eric Bana and Ewan McGregor and was directed by Ridley Scott. The adaptation of the Mark Bowden bestseller was honored with multiple award nominations, two Oscars and rave reviews.
Turning his hand toward comedy in 2003, Bruckheimer released the raucously funny Kangaroo Jack, a family film that won an MTV Award for Best Virtual performance for the kangaroo.
And later in 2003, Bruckheimer unveiled Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush and Keira Knightley and directed by Gore Verbinski, the comedy/adventure/romance grossed more than $630 million worldwide, earned five Academy Award nominations and spawned two sequels: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End .
Following Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Films That Begin With The Lightning Bolt have included Bad Boys II; Veronica Guerin, starring a luminous Cate Blanchett as the Irish journalist murdered by Dublin crime lords; and King Arthur, with Clive Owen starring in the revisionist re-telling of the Arthurian legend.
In 2004 National Treasure, starring Cage and Sean Bean in a roller-coaster adventure about solving the mystery of untold buried treasure, opened to cheering audiences and grossed $347,451,894 million worldwide.
Glory Road, the story of Texas Western coach, Don Haskins, who led the first all-black starting line-up for a college basketball team to the NCAA national championship in 1966, debuted in early 2006 starring Josh Lucas, Derek Luke, Al Shearer, Mehcad Brooks and Emily Deschanel. The film was honored with an ESPY Award for “Best Sports Movie of the Year” for 2006, while the writers received a Humanitas Prize for work that “honestly explores the complexities of the human experience and sheds light on the positive values of life.”
Summer 2006 brought the theatrical release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which sailed into the record books by becoming not only Bruckheimer's most financially successful film, but the highest grossing movie opening ever in the history of film: $135.6 million in its first three days. Shattering projected estimates, the film earned $55.8 million the first day of release. Seizing $44.7 million on the second day, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest became the first movie to top $100 million in only two days. In its first eight weeks, the film surpassed the $1 billion dollar mark worldwide, easily distinguishing itself as the number one movie in the world.
Teaming for the sixth time with director Tony Scott, Bruckheimer released Déjà Vu in late 2006, the story of an ATF agent who falls in love with a complete stranger as he races against time to track down her brutal killer. The film stars Denzel Washington, Jim Caviezel, Paula Patton and Val Kilmer.
Following the success of National Treasure, Bruckheimer's next feature will be National Treasure: Book of Secrets. The film reunites Bruckheimer with director Jon Turteltaub and stars Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha, with new cast addition Helen Mirren and Ed Harris.
Could the master film storyteller make the same magic in 47 minutes for the living room audience? Apparently. As Time Magazine recently wrote, “The most successful producer in film history…is on his way to becoming the most successful producer in the history of TV.”
Bruckheimer brought the power of the lightning bolt to television in 2000 with C.S.I., starring William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger. It quickly became the number one show on television, averaging 25 million viewers a week, and, along with its two spin-offs, C.S.I.: Miami-distinguished as the biggest television series hit on a global scale in 2005 as well as being broadcast TV's #1 primetime series for the summer of 2006-and C.S.I.: NY, helped catapult languishing CBS back to the top of the broadcast heap.
Bruckheimer Television broadened its imprint by telling compelling stories and delivering viewers in huge numbers with Without a Trace, Cold Case, four-time Emmy Award-winning The Amazing Race and Close to Home on CBS. Bruckheimer consistently has four series listed in the top ten shows on television.
In 2004, Bruckheimer made the “Time 100,” a list of the most influential people in the world. Also in 2004, Bruckheimer was named number one in the Power Issue of Entertainment Weekly. The following year, Bruckheimer was the first recipient of the SEAL Patriot Award, in recognition by the SEAL community for his outstanding representation of the U.S. military in motion pictures and television.
In 2006, Bruckheimer was honored with a Doctor of Fine Arts degree from The University of Arizona, his alma mater. “Bruckheimer is unique in the industry in that his creative vision spans both large and small screens. We are pleased to recognize his work through this honor,” said Maurice Sevigny, dean of the UA College of Fine Arts.
Variety selected Bruckheimer as their Showman of the Year for 2006. This award-determined by Variety's top editors and reporters-is presented to an individual who has had significant economic impact, innovations and/or breakthroughs in the entertainment industry.
Bruckheimer was presented with the Salute to Excellence Award from The Museum of Television and Radio for 2006 for his contribution to the television medium. And, in 2007, the Producers Guild of America presented him with the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television for his extraordinary body of work in television.
The Los Angeles Times listed Bruckheimer as number 8 in its 2006 The Power Issue, which features the 100 people who wield the most influence in Southern California. Premiere magazine ranked Bruckheimer as number 10 on its list of 2006 power players, while Forbes magazine positioned the producer at 42 on its 2006 Celebrity 100 List.
Bruckheimer has been successful in many genres and multiple mediums because he's a great storyteller.
Look for the lightning bolt. The best stories are right behind it.
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  FilmmakersGore Verbinski Director
Jerry Bruckheimer Producer
Ted Elliott Screenwriter
Terry Rossio - Screenwriter
Dariusz Wolski Photography
Rick Heinricks Prod. Designer
Penny Rose Costume Designer
Craig Wood Editor
Stephen Rivkin Editor
Hans Zimmer Composer
John Knoll Visual Effects
Charles Gibson Visual Effects
John Frazier Special Effects
Allen Hall Special Effects
George Marshall Ruge Stunts
Ve Neill Makeup Effects
CastJohnny Depp as Sparrow
Orlando Bloom as Will
Keira Knightley as Elizabeth
Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa
Stellan Skarsgard as Bootstrap
Bill Nighy as Davy Jones
Chow Yun-Fat as Sao Feng
Jack Davenport as Norrington
Kevin R. McNally as Gibbs
Jonathan Pryce as Governor
Naomie Harris as Tia Dalma
Tom Hollander as Beckett
Lee Arenberg as Pintel
Mackenzie Crook as Ragetti
Keith Richards as Teague
David Bailie as Cotton
David Schofield as Mercer
Martin Klebba as Marty
Reggie Lee as Tai Huang
Vanessa Branch as Giselle
Lauren Maher as Scarlett
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