Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which opens today, is expected to be a massive hit in movie theaters--but the brand's penetration doesn't stop there: a new massively multiplayer
online game called "Pirates of the Caribbean Online" is slated for release sometime next year, says
The Hollywood Reporter, in addition to several different video games for different platforms.
The games also tie into the "Pirates" film trilogy, according to the report. After the tremendous success of the first "Pirates" film--$654 million worldwide--Disney knew it wanted to build a
long-term franchise. It deployed a team to create a whole mythology around the films--in addition to both forthcoming sequels--from which the books, video games, and other extensions of the brand
would be drawn. Mike Goslin, vice president of Disney's Online Virtual Reality Studio, says the MMOG "will encompass hundreds of hours rather than the two to three hours each film takes up." Many of
the characters from "Dead Man's Chest" will be featured in the game--including the main trio of Captain Jack, Will Turner, and Elizabeth--as well as the new villains Kraken and Davy Jones. Goslin says
Disney is in talks with the actors to provide voice acting for the game. Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow) already lent his voice to the video game "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack
Sparrow," released on June 28 on various platforms. Other titles include a PlayStation Portable and GameBoy Advance version of "Dead Man's Chest," as well as a forthcoming cell phone game. A release
date for the MMOG has not been set, but it is expected to launch by the time the third movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," hits theaters in May.
Read the whole story at The Hollywood Reporter »