Johnny Depp Talks Stranger Tides

Just in case you missed it, we thought we'd highlight some gen-u-ine, honest-to-goodness Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides news in the latest issue of Empire. Specifically, his promise that it's going to be very different from the sequels we've seen so far.

"Pirates 2 and 3 became quite...sub-plotty. The mathematics of it. All of these people went to see them two or three times just to figure out what was happening. This one is a little closer in tone to the first: more character driven, more subject driven. It has a freshness. Less mathematics."

Screenwriter Terry Rossio confirmed that much of the story does derive from the book On Stranger Tides: "Blackbeard, Angelica, the fountain of youth. Stylistically, we've integrated the book into our universe with Captain Jack and Barbossa."

As you probably know, Blackbeard is played by Ian McShane, and Angelica's played by Penelope Cruz. What's her take on her character?

"She's the daughter of the most dangerous pirate of all time, Blackbeard. She has learned a lot from her father. She wants to be good, she's a fighter for the troops on board the ship and wants to change her father, but she also has the mind of a pirate. So she can be tricky, the perfect liar. [She and Jack] were lovers in the past and things have not been resolved. Angelica is very angry and he is the same; they hurt each other but they get back together for this mission; it's an interesting game they have going on."

Click the cover for a full preview of the new issue

For much, much more on the new film, check out the latest issue of Empire, on sale now.