Pirates of the Caribbean remains one of Disney’s most beloved franchises, though it’s been nearly a decade since fans last saw Johnny Depp’s iconic Captain Jack Sparrow in an official new release. With a long-awaited sixth installment still in development, speculation continues over whether the actor will ever reprise his signature role, and fans have become a bit impatient without much in the way of updates as of late.
Sadly, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean 6 film remains a major question mark for the company after years of delays, with longtime producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirming that work on the screenplay is still ongoing. While multiple scripts have reportedly been considered, no cast or release date has been announced. Johnny Depp’s return as Captain Jack Sparrow also remains unconfirmed, with Bruckheimer saying any involvement will depend on the strength of the script.
To make matters even worse, Pirates of the Caribbean fans haven’t been able to enjoy one of the most beloved experiences of the franchise, with the official Disneyland attraction in Anaheim, California being shut down in recent months for major updates and maintenance. However, with the ride officially opening back up on June 26, Disney has implemented some controversial changes, and not all fans are happy with the results (via The Independent).
Apparently, during the renovation process of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, Disney’s Imagineers have updated one of the ride’s most iconic features, adding “hybrid front projection technology” to what used to be a skeleton sitting behind a treasure chest near the beginning of the experience.
The update, showcased in the video above, has caused a wave of backlash among Pirates fans online (via Instagram), with some calling this a major “downgrade” and arguing that “The new animatronic feels so out of place and it kills the immersion into the story!”
The before-and-after video hasn’t landed well among longtime park-goers at all, and has raised concerns that Disneyland Imagineers may have missed the target with this “upgrade” to a beloved classic attraction. Wolfqueen55 asks, “what is wrong with keeping the pirate skeletons? This looks like a funny clutz pirate now and not the stoic creepy legendary style. It’s destroying the storytelling and classic pirate vibes. Another fail,” they argue, and they’re not alone.
Cmculver says, “This looks awful” and that they “hope they saved their OG skeleton,” while user outlander_and_gameofthrones was quick to lambast the decision with some strong points:
I never thought they could make this part of the ride cringe but they somehow managed it. It’s meant to be static. It’s a skeleton because the guy died with the treasure. His greed ultimately led to his demise. He’s not supposed to be undead…that would fall more in line with the Haunted Mansion. It seems like Disney doesn’t get their original properties or their audience. They change things that don’t need to be updated and fans don’t want them updated. Then they ignore things that fans actually do want changed or updated. So frustrating.
Ultimately, with the amount of work and time Disneyland dumped into updating the Pirates of the Caribbean experience, it’s unlikely they’ll revert this part of the ride back to the original skeleton, but there’s no doubt fans will continue voicing their opinions as long as the new version is still active.