Johnny Depp sat shivering under a blanket in front of an electric heater.
Sure, Florida's often called the Sunshine State, but it's not that sunny.
Back home, a bunch of east-west mountain ranges block cold air from Siberia, keeping the southern regions' winters relatively mild.
North America's not so lucky. With mountains running north-south, arctic air can barrel straight down to Florida without much resistance.
Winters here hit harder than back home.
Pirates of the Caribbean started shooting in November, and while Florida's warmer than most of North America, a recent cold front had dropped the temperature by double digits overnight. Plunging into icy seawater in this weather? Yeah, that was enough to make Johnny Depp miserable.
"Damn it, he did it on purpose! Making me look like a fool!" Johnny grumbled under his breath.
"Oh, come on! Weren't you the one picking a fight?" Director Verbinski shot back. "I told you not to mess with him. If you want to get even, crush him with your acting, not this nonsense."
"I can't let it slide. I'm gonna teach him a lesson," Johnny said, fuming.
"What, you think you're tougher than Tyson?" Verbinski gave him a look like he'd lost his mind.
"…"
Johnny's anger-fueled brain cooled off instantly. The guy they were talking about had knocked out Mike Tyson with a single kick, scaring every fighter in America into steering clear. He was a monster.
"So what if he's tough? This isn't the Middle Ages. No matter how good his kung fu is, can it beat a gun?" Johnny muttered, still defiant.
"I know you're just blowing off steam, but I need you to focus on the movie first. Get yourself together. We've got a scene coming up where you face off with Luke. Save your energy for that," Verbinski said.
He patted Johnny's shoulder and walked off to prep.
Not far away, Luke watched the two talking, not feeling any real resentment.
Truth is, neither of them was a bad guy at heart. It was just a clash of interests that had them starting off on the wrong foot.
If Luke could shut them down with undeniable skill, he might not win them over completely, but at least they could work together to make this movie great.
Verbinski had his professional standards. No matter how much he disliked Luke, he'd prioritize making a good film.
Sure, he might just be doing it to justify the trust of whoever put him in the director's chair.
As for Johnny Depp, he'd always been a "weird kid"—not quite a good guy, not quite a bad guy, but something else entirely.
When he was young, his good looks landed him fame in the teen drama 21 Jump Street.
But he hated the heartthrob image that brought him fame and fortune, so he deliberately broke away from it.
That led to his iconic roles in Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, and Alice in Wonderland. In those films, his characters were quirky, distinctive, and incredibly charismatic.
Captain Jack Sparrow was the perfect fit—part hero, part schemer, with a kind heart beneath the eccentric, roguish charm. Fearless, cunning, and a little crazy, he was the absolute soul of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Depp and the role made each other. He reaped the biggest rewards from the film's success.
After Pirates, his popularity skyrocketed, cementing him as a top-tier Hollywood leading man.
Anne Hathaway's Elizabeth, the governor's daughter, had no trace of being spoiled. She was adventurous, sharp-witted, and a natural leader, eventually becoming the Pirate King.
It was a captivating role, and Anne's popularity was bound to soar after playing it.
But Luke's Will Turner? Kind of a letdown. The character was… well, bland. His main traits were being loyal and brave.
That's it. Not much to work with. In another timeline, Orlando Bloom didn't gain much fame from the role for exactly that reason.
Mr. Eisen, the producer, saw the problem right away and had the script rewritten.
In the new script, Will Turner kept his loyalty but gained one new trait: strength.
Like, ridiculously over-the-top strength.
All the scenes where he got beaten? Gone. Completely scrubbed.
Now, whenever Will Turner showed up, he dominated, crushing his enemies with ease.
This change didn't just highlight Luke's character—it was designed to build his on-screen persona. A powerful role naturally draws a huge following.
Eisen wanted Luke to become an unmatched action star, and the key was establishing his persona in the audience's mind.
Think of it: when people see Stephen Chow, they think of the goofy, underdog everyman.
When they see Dwayne Johnson, they think of raw power and toughness.
After Luke's string of films earned him some fame, the next step was locking in his persona.
Eisen's choice? Strength.
He wanted every role Luke played to scream "powerful."
That way, the moment audiences saw Luke's face, they'd think "unbeatable."
Honestly, this persona was a slam dunk for Luke because he was even stronger in real life than on screen.
That time he knocked out Tyson with one kick? It made him a legend.
Anyone who knew about it already bought into his strength.
Pair that with his powerful on-screen roles, and with some cross-promotion, his persona would soon be etched into the minds of moviegoers worldwide.
Next up was a fight scene where Will meets Captain Jack Sparrow for the first time.
In the original script, it was a back-and-forth brawl, evenly matched.
By the end, Jack even got the upper hand, holding Will at gunpoint until Will's allies pulled a sneak attack to capture Jack.
Now, the script had Will absolutely dominating Jack, pummeling him from start to finish.
Jack, after getting knocked down, would comically keep trying to outsmart Will but still end up caught.
The rewrite didn't change the outcome—Jack still gets captured.
But it didn't diminish Jack's charm either. If anything, it played up his humor.
It was a smart win-win change, boosting both characters' appeal.
Maybe Johnny Depp hadn't realized the benefits of the rewrite yet. He probably thought it undercut his role, which led to today's tension.
But whatever he thought, the scene was about to start shooting.
Luke, dressed and ready, gripped a gleaming longsword and stepped into the center of the set.