Walt Disney Studios released an official 10-minute prequel short film titled “Pirates of the Caribbean: Tales of the Code: Wedlocked” in 2011, directed by James Ward Byrkit and included exclusively on a Blu-ray box set, per flashfilm.com.
The short film follows minor characters Giselle, played by Vanessa Branch, and Scarlett, played by Lauren Maher, who discover they are both jilted would-be brides of Captain Jack Sparrow. The narrative depicts the two women standing on an auction block being forcibly sold for 702 goats, only to learn that the auctioneer takes a 100% commission under the Pirate Code.
Shot over three days utilizing standing sets from “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” before their demolition, the production was intended to be the launchpad for a series of shorts based on the fictional Pirate Code book. Although director James Ward Byrkit envisioned multiple installments utilising the premise to tie secondary stories into the main cinematic universe, no further shorts were produced.
Gore Verbinski launched the multibillion-dollar franchise in 2003 with “The Curse of the Black Pearl,” which grossed over $654 million worldwide and spawned four major sequels between 2006 and 2017.
•Featured image courtesy Walt Disney Studios