Regardless of whether Jack Sparrow returns for , another important element of the last five movies needs to remain. The reported story of Pirates of the Caribbean 6 has been in development hell for a while. Despite the post-credits scene of Pirates of the Caribbean 5 teasing the return of Davy Jones now that the curse of the Flying Dutchman has been lifted, the sixth film in the series has struggled to get off the ground for a variety of reasons both concerning storytelling and outside factors.

Pirates of the Caribbean 6 has taken so long partly due to conflicting reports that indicated that a reboot was instead ordered by Disney, throwing a sixth mainline installment into doubt. Beyond that, the court case involving Johnny Depp and Amber Heard cast a shadow over the potential return of the former as Captain Jack Sparrow. Regardless of these production issues and the argument over whether Depp should return, one significant aspect of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise must remain. If it does so, a potential sixth installment could retain what made the previous five movies more special than the average blockbuster.

The element in question is the use of special effects, both practical and visual, in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Since the first film in the saga back in 2003, the special effects of the franchise have been revered. The second and third movies especially received praise for their visual effects, with the rendering of fully CGI characters like the aforementioned Davy Jones being a particular highlight. Every set, prop, and location used practical effects perfectly, while the otherworldly creatures and crew mates of the Flying Dutchman typified near-perfect CGI.

Although the fourth and fifth movies in the franchise were not as beloved as Gore Verbinski’s original trilogy, no one can deny that the quality of special effects remained at a high level. In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, for example, the ghostly effects used to bring Javier Bardem’s Captain Salazar to life were excellent. This extended to other elements of that film, as well as those of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Disregarding the fluctuating quality of the films themselves,

While it rings true that the visual effects of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise were revered at the time of their respective releases, the praise has only increased in recent years. A big reason for this is the overall criticism regarding CGI in modern Hollywood. props, characters, or locations. This, combined with oftentimes rushed post-production schedules, has led recent blockbusters to look underwhelming from a visual perspective.

As alluded to, this has caused people to look back on movies from the 2000s and early 2010s more fondly, especially where visual effects are concerned. One of the franchises most commonly revisited more fondly in this regard is the Pirates of the Caribbean series, be it praise for convincing CGI movie characters like Davy Jones over more recent characters of the same ilk that lack this authenticity, or the more general wish that a blend of practical and visual effects will return to Hollywood. As a result, the Pirates series has once more become a barometer for success visually.

All of this is to say that whenever Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is finally placed into active development, it cannot simply be just another blockbuster. Unfortunately, linking to the aforementioned CGI issues in modern Hollywood, many would argue that blockbusters overall have become somewhat lacking in quality in comparison to those of previous eras. Although there are outliers and some big-budget movies are still excellent, superhero movies and other franchise films are being more regularly criticized for how blockbusters have seemingly fallen into an underwhelming category.

Oftentimes, last-minute changes are made to modern blockbuster movies, such as extensive reshoots to change an entire story based on test-screening results. These changes often result in not enough time being granted to VFX teams, leading to underwhelming CGI. , with many tending to be rushed and overworked to fit studio release dates. Then there is the overall reliance on CGI I have mentioned.

Many blockbusters tend to use extensive green screen sets rather than shoot on-location as used to be the norm. This only puts more work on VFX artists, especially if reshoots used green screen sets to make the rush to the finish line even more hectic. Many have desired a stronger blend of practical and visual effects recently, something that the Pirates of the Caribbean series was always strong at including. If ever does come out, the film needs sufficient time to be akin to its predecessors and avoid the pitfalls of modern blockbuster filmmaking.