Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 American fantasy swashbuckler film based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney theme parks. It was directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. The story follows pirate Captain Jack Sparrow and blacksmith Will Turner as they rescue Elizabeth Swann from the cursed crew of the Black Pearl, captained by Hector Barbossa, who is cursed. Jay Wolpert developed a script based on the theme park ride in 2001, and Stuart Beattie rewrote it in early 2002. ... more on Wikipedia