<Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $1.045 billion </Td> </Tr> <P> Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 American fantasy swashbuckler film, the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and the sequel to At World's End (2007). It is the first film in the series not to be directed by Gore Verbinski, being replaced by Rob Marshall . Jerry Bruckheimer again served as producer . The film is technically a stand - alone sequel to the previous installments . In the film, which draws its plot loosely from the novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is joined by Angelica (Penélope Cruz) in his search for the Fountain of Youth, confronting the infamous pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released in the United States on May 20, 2011 . It was the first film in the series to be released in the Disney Digital 3 - D and IMAX 3D formats . </P> <P> Writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio first learned of Powers' novel On Stranger Tides during the back - to - back production of Dead Man's Chest (2006) and At World's End, and considered it a good starting point for a new movie in the series . Pre-production started after the end of the 2007--2008 Writers Guild of America strike, with Depp collaborating with the writers on the story design . Principal photography rolled for 106 days between June and November 2010, with locations in Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico and California . Filming employed 3D cameras similar to those used in the production of the 2009 film Avatar, and ten companies were involved with the film's visual effects . Following inflated production costs it is currently noted as the most expensive film ever made with a net budget of $379 million . </P> <P> On Stranger Tides broke many box office records upon release, and it stands as the 23rd - highest - grossing film of all time worldwide when not adjusting for inflation . Critical reviews were mixed, with the film receiving criticism over its writing, directing, excessiveness and lack of originality; positive mentions were given on the acting, action sequences, music, visuals and the running time for being much shorter than the previous two films . A sequel, titled Dead Men Tell No Tales, was released in 2017 . </P>

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