Depp rides ‘Pirates’ wave

For two decades, Johnny Depp was happily cursed. Most of his movies barely made any money at all.

As he puts it, he was "enjoying a career based on failures."

That all changed, of course, in 2003 with his transformative performance as renegade Capt. Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates of the Caribbean.

The action-adventure, improbably inspired by a Disneyland theme ride, launched a trilogy that ultimately grossed $2.6 billion worldwide.

Moreover it propelled Depp -- known for such eclectic choices as What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Ed Wood and Edward Scissorhands -- from the fringes of fame to global superstardom.

Eight years later, the 47-year-old remains one of the industry's most sought-after, highly paid actors.

And Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides should only add to the franchise's box-office booty when it opens Thursday at midnight.

"It's not my fault," he tells journalists in a Beverly Hills hotel.

"I did my best -- even to a point of trying to get fired on the first one, but they couldn't bring themselves to do it."

Indeed, the story of how Disney executives initially responded to Depp's Sparrow in The Curse of the Black Pearl is nearly as legendary as any tale of pirate lore.

They were aghast at the sashaying, mascara-sporting buccaneer who Depp envisioned as a cross between Pepe Le Pew and Keith Richards.

They needn't have worried.

Audiences and critics alike enthusiastically embraced Depp's anti-blockbuster originality; he even earned an Oscar nomination for what's become his signature character.

"The fact people decided to see a movie I was in was probably the most shocking thing I've been through," he admits. "The weird thing is I never changed a thing. The process is still the process."

And while some actors -- specifically those inclined to take themselves too seriously -- might begrudge the success generated by a Disney franchise, Depp sounds content to continue making Pirates movies for years.

He even jokes about being wheeled around in his Sparrow dreads decades from now.

"The possibilities are endless, limitless," he says.

Which is probably just what the studio would want to hear since On Stranger Tides -- the presence of Depp's Sparrow and Geoffrey Rush's Capt. Hector Barbossa aside -- represents a course change for the series. Gone, for example, are Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.

In their place, the sequel introduces various new characters, including Sparrow's former flame Angelica (Penelope Cruz), and the merciless pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane).

For Depp and Cruz, the film may mark the first time they've crossed swords, but not paths. In 2001, they co-starred in the cocaine-fuelled opus Blow.

"The weird thing was that it felt like we'd wrapped Blow the week before or a few days before," Depp says.

"We just clicked instantly. Whatever exists, in terms of chemistry, was just instantly firing on all cylinders. It felt completely right "¦ I was very, very excited to have Penelope come into this film. I knew she would be -- not only a worthy opponent -- but someone who would just kill the scenes. And she did. She was incredible."

And, it turns out, informative. "She taught me the raunchiest Spanish," he adds. "It's so foul I couldn't bring myself to repeat it here."

Depp credits her involvement to director Rob Marshall (Chicago) who took the reins from Gore Verbinski.

Marshall and Cruz last collaborated on the musical Nine.

"It was a real coup to get (Rob)," says producer Jerry Bruckheimer. "We're so fortunate he agreed to do this -- and shocking that he did."

Bruckheimer is well aware of the criticism the previous Pirate outings were unwieldy, even convoluted. "I think (Dead Man's Chest) and (At World's End) get bashed a little bit, but you have to understand, (Dead Man's Chest) was the biggest of the bunch -- it was an enormous success -- and (At World's End) reached almost a billion dollars. They were very successful movies even though the media didn't understand them as much as the audience did."

That said, he acknowledges, On Stranger Tides, is more streamlined than its predecessors.

"We finished our trilogy and paid off all our characters "¦ (There were) less characters and less plotlines to deal with."

Maybe so. But the new movie nevertheless offers all of what audiences would expect: Hidden treasure; mysterious jungles; double-and-triple-crosses; treacherous rivals; and a mystical quest -- this time for the Fountain of Youth.

And all of it anchored by Sparrow, a character now as mainstream as Mickey Mouse or Buzz Lightyear.

Not surprisingly, Depp reveals the lines between his alter-ego and his own personality have blurred after four films.

"Any character you play, a part of you goes into that "¦ And now, fortunately or unfortunately, there's a great part of Capt. Jack in me as well. Basically, I can't shake him. He won't leave me alone. He starts showing up at odd times."

But when he might re-appear in theatres after this summer?

It's already been reported a fifth Pirates has been penned. Depp, however, has said he doesn't want to rush further chapters.

And Bruckheimer is equally hesitant to commit to a timeframe.

"It took awhile to get (the On Stranger Tides) script to a place where we're comfortable with it," he says. "We just got a rough first draft in (for Pirates 5). It will take some time."

Adds Depp, "There's a very clever idea that's being hatched in terms of Pirates 5 and 6. We're actually going to shoot it on the (Disneyland) ride. (It will be) just us going around in a circle."

In the meantime, Depp says all he hopes for is "smooth sailing" off-screen.

The reformed Hollywood rebel -- who made headlines for dating Kate Moss and trashing a hotel room -- has two children, Lily-Rose, 11, and nine-year-old Jack with French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis.

"I'm OK with no big ups, no big downs. Just full steam ahead "¦ As a family man all you as a dad want is pure happiness for your kids. That's a universal parent thing. That's it, that's my dream -- happy kids."

‘Pirates’ reunion in ‘Tonto’?

It's a new frontier for the posse behind Pirates of the Caribbean.

Three years ago, Disney announced Johnny Depp, who is part Native American, would play Tonto in a big-screen remake of The Lone Ranger, based on the TV western about a masked Texas ranger and his stoic sidekick Tonto.

Now, after much development, it appears production could begin later this year.

Gore Verbinski -- who helmed the first three Pirates movies as well as the Depp-led animated duster Rango -- will direct. And early reports suggest Armie Hammer, who portrayed the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network, could be in line to star as the titular lawman.

(That said, producer Jerry Bruckheimer cautions that no casting beyond Depp has been finalized. "We're in the process of meeting people right now.")

Given the talent involved, one might assume what they're aiming for is essentially Pirates of the Wild West. "I think it will have its own tone," Bruckheimer says. "(Depp's) got a real interesting bead on the character of Tonto."

Says Depp, "I feel what we're creating, in terms of story and character, I couldn't say you could compare it to Pirates. I suppose tonally there's a relationship because there's a kind of fascination with the absurd that's involved with The Lone Ranger as well. Some semblance of irreverence," Depp says. "But you need that right? You've got to have that."

What you've also got to have is a release date. The Lone Ranger doesn't have one yet, but it could gallop into theatres by the end of 2012.