Pirates of the Caribbean is an extremely successful franchise, grossing over 4.5 billion at the worldwide box office. Now, the first film of the Disney-owned franchise is floating to a different streaming home.

The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is sailing to Hulu on Oct. 1, 2024. The first installment of the fantasy franchise is based on Walt Disney’s theme park attraction and hit theaters on July 9, 2003. The series follows the adventures of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, expertly played by Johnny Depp in the five films so far, and the iconic first film only further established him as one of the most versatile actors.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl starred Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley in leading roles. It follows the adventures of the pirate Jack Sparrow and the blacksmith Will Turner (Bloom) as they venture to rescue Elizabeth Swann (Knightley), Governor Weatherby Swann’s daughter, from the pirate crew of the Sparrow’s former ship, the Black Pearl.

The first installment was very successful, opening at no. 1, ahead of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machine, and grossing $46.6 million in its opening week, on its way to a total of $654.3 million worldwide, a success given its $140 million budget. It also had a good reception from the critics, and the fantasy swashbuckler first installment holds a Certified Fresh rating of 80% from the critics. The Curse of the Black Pearl has the highest approval from the critics, and it’s the only one with a “fresh” score from the critics and the biggest approval rating from the audience.

At the same time, despite its success at the box office, the first installment was the lowest-grossing film in the $4.5 billion franchise. The subsequent sequels, 2006’s Dead Man’s Chest, 2007’s At World’s End, 2011’s On Stranger Tides, and 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tells were even more successful, with the second and third installments grossing over $1 billion each (via The Numbers). However, all five had “rotten scores,” with less favorable, yet passable audience scores, except for On Stranger Tides.

Johnny Depp’s Future in the Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise Is Uncertain

One of the reasons why Pirates of the Caribbean was so successful was undoubtedly Johnny Depp. The actor’s impeccable portrayal of the pirate is one of his best roles yet, and perhaps his most popular part, with many people dressing up as Jack Sparrow for Halloween, imitating him, and trying to impersonate his voice. Because of this, there’s no one else who can replace him as Captain Sparrow.

However, even with Depp’s popularity, the film’s qualities dropped over the last two films, although the original trilogy was very successful and wrapped up the stories of Sparrow, Swann, and Turner. The actor’s extended legal battle with his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, and the abuse allegations made Disney and Warner Bros. cut ties with the actor, and his future in the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is uncertain. As fans insist there’s no franchise without Depp, the film series consists of an ensemble cast made up of many interesting characters that could take the spotlight, but its box office success might depend on Depp.

Until Disney releases more information about Pirates of the Caribbean 6, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl will hit Hulu on Oct. 1.