• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Stuntman explains how they made iconic Johnny Depp Orlando Bloom sword fight scene so realistic

Home> Film & TV

Published 19:50 7 Nov 2022 GMT

Stuntman explains how they made iconic Johnny Depp Orlando Bloom sword fight scene so realistic

A Pirates of the Caribbean stuntman has revealed how one of the fights between Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom was made to look so realistic.

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

Featured Image Credit: PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / AJ Pics / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: Johnny Depp, Film and TV, Entertainment, Celebrity

Poppy Bilderbeck
Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.

Advert

Advert

Advert

A Pirates of the Caribbean stuntman has revealed how one of the fight scenes between Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom was made to look so realistic.

As much as you think you're accurately replicating a movie fight scene as you prance around your living room brandishing your foam swords - or using a lightsaber if you don't quite have enough to go around - you're normally pretty far off.

You're even further off if you decide to try and replicate one of the fight scenes which takes place during the first of the family-favourite franchise, 2003 movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl between Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom).

Advert

Stuntman for Bloom, Mark Wagner, has since opened up about the behind-the-scenes of the shoot and how one of the action-adventure's scenes ended up looking quite so realistic as it did.

Shortly after Captain Jack arrives in Port Royal, chaos ensues as he is quickly identified as a pirate by Captain James Norrington of HMS Dauntless - who has just proposed to Elizabeth (Kiera Knightly).

Jack quickly scurries off to hide, only to find himself in the blacksmiths and who should be the creator of such fine swords, but former - and soon-to-be returned pirate - Will Turner.

Advert

An epic fight scene subsequently commences, the two dancing around the workspace with hot irons and chains, as well as battling away with some pretty witty one-liners.

If that wasn't impressive enough, there's one part of the scene which notably adds to the rising tension, highlights the impressive nature of the slickly executed choreography and makes the fight even more realistic: the sparking of the swords as metal hits metal.

On an episode of Stuntmen React by VFX company Corridor Crews, Wagner has revealed exactly how such realism was achieved.

If you thought the realistic flints of light from sword slamming sword were purely a result of special effects added in when editing the footage, then think again.

Advert

Wager - who worked on the scene with Bob Anderson who was the double for Darth Vader - explained: "So, what's really cool about this piece too is they actually hooked these swords up to cables so that when they touched they would spark.

"So I had these cables running down my leg and Johnny had these cables running down his leg, and it would be like sparks, sparks, sparks, every one of those hits."

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has since gone on to achieve a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 86 percent, and tomatometer score of 80 percent.

Advert

So successful was the franchise, a female-led spin-off is now reported as being in the works, starring none other than Barbie actor Margot Robbie.

Choose your content:

8 hours ago
21 hours ago
23 hours ago
  • 8 hours ago

    Netflix fans binge 100% rated series smashing expectations with 142.9 million hours viewed

    People are getting their friends and family 'hooked'

    Film & TV
  • 8 hours ago

    Netflix viewers urged to watch this ‘perfect’ but ‘underappreciated’ animated comedy that just dropped on streaming

    Fans have long argued the film should be at the people's watch list if they haven't seen it

    Film & TV
  • 21 hours ago

    Netflix viewers have days left to watch forgotten Scarlett Johansson film that caused uproar after highlighting this one myth

    The film only really works by playing into the myth

    Film & TV
  • 23 hours ago

    Top 5 titles you need to binge this weekend include Netflix’s new true crime series featuring serial killer who ‘haunted’ New York

    If you're looking for something to watch, this week's UNILAD Ranked has got you covered

    Film & TV
  • Johnny Depp makes rare comments on Amber Heard trial and their relationship
  • Jenna Ortega had a savage five-word response to rumors that she's dating Johnny Depp
  • Johnny Depp showcases huge dental makeover a year after fans noticed his 'rotting' teeth
  • Johnny Depp speaks out about Amber Heard trial two years after it happened