Pirates of the CaribbeanComplete Watch Order Guide
A series of fantasy swashbuckler films based on Walt Disney's theme park ride of the same name. The films follow the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow and take place in a world ruled by the British Empire, the East India Trading Company and the Spanish Empire, with pirates representing freedom from the ruling powers.
Pirates of the Caribbean Release Timeline
What order should you watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movies?
Release order — click any era to expand or collapse. All 5 released films shown below.
1 film released between 2017 and 2017.
Watch Pirates of the Caribbean in Order
Watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in release order, starting with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and continuing through Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). The series spans 5 films, released between 2003 and 2017. Audiences rate the franchise 7.1/10 on average.
What order should you watch Pirates of the Caribbean?
For most viewers, release order is the recommended way to watch Pirates of the Caribbean. This is how the story was crafted and revealed to audiences — earlier films seed details, callbacks, and twists that pay off in later entries. Watching in release order preserves those reveals and matches the pacing the filmmakers intended.
Pirates of the Caribbean largely tracks its own in-universe chronology, so release order and chronological order overlap closely. You can use either without losing much, though release order is still the safest first watch.
About the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise
A series of fantasy swashbuckler films based on Walt Disney's theme park ride of the same name. The films follow the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow and take place in a world ruled by the British Empire, the East India Trading Company and the Spanish Empire, with pirates representing freedom from the ruling powers.
Each film builds on the previous one, rewarding viewers who watch in sequence.
Pirates of the Caribbean by the Numbers
Every figure below is calculated from the full film list on this page.
- 5
- Films released
- 14
- Years running
- 7.1/10
- Average audience rating
- 7.8/10
- Highest rated
- 6.6/10
- Lowest rated
- 6 years
- Longest gap between films
Pirates of the Caribbean has 5 released films, the first in 2003 and the most recent in 2017.
The series has been running for 14 years, from 2003 to 2017.
Across its 5 rated films, Pirates of the Caribbean averages 7.1/10 on TMDB, from 84,375 audience ratings.
The highest-rated entry is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) at 7.8/10 on TMDB.
The lowest-rated entry is Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) at 6.6/10 on TMDB.
The longest gap between consecutive films is 6 years, between Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).
Computed by Movies in Order from The Movie Database (TMDB) collection data for Pirates of the Caribbean, covering all 5 released films. Last recalculated September 2026.
Pirates of the Caribbean Fun Facts & Trivia
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise spans 14 years, from 2003 to 2017.
The highest-rated entry is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl with a 7.8/10 audience score.
Across all films, the franchise averages a 7.1/10 rating from audiences.
Pirates of the Caribbean films have collected over 84k audience ratings combined.
The most recent entry, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), continues a franchise that began 14 years earlier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best order to watch Pirates of the Caribbean?
What is the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie?
What is the most recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie?
How many Pirates of the Caribbean movies are there in total?
How long does it take to watch all Pirates of the Caribbean movies?
What is the highest-rated Pirates of the Caribbean movie?
Can I watch Pirates of the Caribbean movies without watching them in order?
Where can I watch Pirates of the Caribbean movies online?
More Movies in Order
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See the original timeline, full stats, and editorial intro on the franchise overview page.
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