Pirates of the Caribbean is set in history.
Pirates of the Caribbean (film series) . The stories follow the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow ( Johnny Depp ) , Will Turner ( Orlando Bloom ) , and Elizabeth Swann ( Keira Knightley ) . The films take place in a fictional historical setting ; a world ruled by the British Empire , the East India Trading Company ( based on the real East India Company ) , and the Spanish Empire , with pirates representing freedom from the ruling powers .