With Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides getting ready to film in Hawaii in May, another potential member of the cast has been announced. While we discovered a couple of weeks ago that Penelope Cruz was in talk for a role, now THR reports that Ian McShane is negotiating his contract for the part of Blackbeard.
He certainly seems to be the logical choice for the part, as he’s got a great pedigree in villainous roles, and should be a good match for Captain Jack Sparrow as they face off while seeking out the Fountain of Youth.
Blackbeard will be one of the few Pirates characters actually based on a real person, in this case the infamous Edward Teach, a pirate who operated in the West Indies and American Colonies in the early 1700s. However, I think it’s safe to presume he’ll be far more strange and magical in the film than he was in real life.
The role should be the icing on the cake for McShane’s career resurrection, as he found international fame in the 1970s, lost it through the 80s and 90s (instead making the likes of Lovejoy), but has become more famous that ever since getting cast in Deadwood in 2004.