Pirates of the Caribbean is a film series.
This is a list of characters appearing in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series . Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy swashbuckler films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and based on Walt Disney 's theme park ride of the same name . 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 . The film series started in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl , which received positive reviews from the critics and grossed US$ 654 million worldwide .