ABC Family Scores TV Premiere for New Pirates of the Caribbean Movie

BURBANK: ABC Family has acquired the new Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides from Disney-ABC Domestic Television, giving the network the first-window rights to launch the movie in 2013.

“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is one of this summer’s most highly-anticipated movies,” said Tom Zappala, the executive VP of program acquisitions and scheduling at ABC Cable Networks Group. “Audiences love this franchise the world over for its excitement, charm and all-out sense of good fun. We’re thrilled to add this installment, in addition to the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, to our theatrical slate.”

The movie, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, has been done in Disney Digital 3D. It features Johnny Depp reprising the iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow, with Penélope Cruz joining the cast as Angelica, who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. The cast also includes Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin R. McNally, Sam Claflin and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey. The movie just topped the U.S. box office this past weekend.