Chapter Summaries

At the Oscars after-party, Irene reflected on the barriers facing women directors and reaffirmed her confidence in Pirates of the Caribbean. She faced Julia Roberts, whose pointed remarks recalled their old conflict over MGM, but Irene stayed composed and stood by her new partnership with Fox.

• Irene considered how difficult it was for women directors to win Academy recognition and said Pirates of the Caribbean would be remembered.
• At the Oscars after-party, Beard introduced Irene to Best Actress Julia Roberts.
• Irene recalled that Julia had competed with Legally Blonde through Runaway Bride and had helped MGM raise distribution fees during Mean Girls’ production.
• Julia praised Irene’s films, then alluded to MGM’s lost chance to work with her and asked about Pirates of the Caribbean.
• Irene calmly praised her work with Fox and said she believed Pirates of the Caribbean would be a wonderful film.
• Julia felt frustrated that Irene’s career had advanced beyond the point where she could undermine her.

At an Oscar celebration, Irene spoke with director Ang Lee and decided to pursue the film rights to Brokeback Mountain. She left determined to secure the novel for Ang Lee or make the film herself.

• Irene heard that Julia wanted to work with her, but declined because she was focused on Pirates of the Caribbean.
• Beard Fergus introduced Irene to Ang Lee, and they discussed their films and filmmaking styles.
• Ang Lee praised Irene and said he hoped to see Pirates of the Caribbean and her work in a different style.
• After the celebration, Irene called Vera and told her to acquire the film rights to Brokeback Mountain, with no budget limit.
• Irene told Shelly she believed the novel's moving story was worth the risk and that Ang Lee's style suited it.

At the Los Angeles premiere of Stealing the Heavens and Changing the Day, Irene promoted the film’s character-driven story and practical action scenes as audiences watched and applauded. The screening ended with a lively question-and-answer session, where Irene and the cast discussed filming the tunnel chase and preparing for their roles.

• Irene explained to Shelly that Echo Pictures needed a varied slate of films, including artistic projects as well as blockbusters.
• Britney, Ang Lee, and other guests supported Irene at the April 15, 2001 premiere, while Irene answered reporters’ questions about the film and its practical stunts.
• Irene and Johnny Depp exchanged hints about working together again, and Depp said he was available whenever she needed him.
• The packed audience watched Stealing the Heavens and Changing the Day, reacted with suspense and excitement to its action, and applauded for nearly a minute after the credits.
• Irene, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, and the crew answered audience questions about filming the subway tunnel chase and the actors’ training.

After Stealing the Heavens and Changing the Day set a record with its midnight box office, Irene prepared to capitalize on the film’s success. Disney agreed to a three-way meeting about Pirates of the Caribbean, while Irene moved ahead with buying the rights to Brokeback Mountain.

• At the premiere Q&A, Irene teased that audiences would see a pirate captain who was “equal parts mad and romantic” the following year.
• Shelly told Irene that Stealing the Heavens and Changing the Day had earned $4.48 million at midnight, breaking Irene’s previous record, and that projections put its opening weekend above $50 million.
• Irene told Shelly to arrange a celebration for the cast and crew, including Matt, Charlize, and Johnny.
• Shelly reported that negotiations for Brokeback Mountain’s rights had gone well, and Irene instructed Vera to sign the contract and save the project until after Pirates of the Caribbean.
• Beard texted Irene that Disney had agreed to a three-way meeting about Pirates of the Caribbean the following week, with Jerry Bruckheimer attending.
• On Monday, Irene felt more confident about the upcoming meeting after seeing the opening weekend numbers.

After Stealing the Heavens and Changing the Day earned $60.32 million in its first week, Irene Coppola faced criticism from Michael Bay, who questioned the film’s quality ahead of Pearl Harbor. A week later, as her film passed $100 million domestically and neared $180 million worldwide, Irene met Disney and Fox representatives to discuss Pirates of the Caribbean.

• Stealing the Heavens and Changing the Day earned $60.32 million in its first week, and newspapers praised Irene Coppola’s directing while some critics faulted the plot and characters.
• Michael Bay called Irene’s film childish and illogical in an interview, prompting Vera and Shelly to suspect he was picking a fight ahead of Pearl Harbor.
• Irene acknowledged that her film sacrificed realism for excitement and said it pursued a different creative direction from Pearl Harbor.
• A week later, Irene and Shelly arrived at a meeting with Fox and Disney representatives, where Beard Fergus congratulated Irene on her film’s strong box-office performance.
• Irene saw that Robert Iger had attended the meeting, signaling Disney’s interest as they prepared to discuss Pirates of the Caribbean.

Irene Coppola negotiated with Disney over Pirates of the Caribbean, where Robert Iger praised her work and Disney proposed shared oversight of the final cut. Irene insisted on retaining final cut, and the meeting paused as Robert Iger consulted his executives.

• Beard Fergus introduced Irene Coppola to Disney president Robert Iger, who praised Stealing the Heavens and Changing the Day and clarified that Michael Bay's remarks did not reflect Disney's position.
• Robert Iger said Disney wanted Irene to direct and adapt Pirates of the Caribbean, with Jerry Bruckheimer as executive producer.
• Fox's chief financial officer proposed a $150 million production budget, with Fox, Disney, and Echo Pictures contributing in a 5:3.5:1.5 ratio.
• Robert Iger proposed a three-party review of the final cut, but Irene argued that she needed final cut to protect the story's integrity.
• Beard Fergus and Adelaide Griffin supported Irene's creative freedom, while Robert Iger conferred with Disney executives and observed that Jerry Bruckheimer had not objected.

Irene secured agreement on the major terms for Pirates of the Caribbean, including her final-cut authority, and laid out her casting and budget plans. After the meeting, Jerry Bruckheimer explained to Robert Iger that he trusted Irene because her films had already demonstrated her ability.

• Robert Iger offered Irene the right to final cut on the condition that Disney and Fox could propose revisions, and Irene signed the agreement.
• Irene chose Johnny Depp for Captain Jack Sparrow and proposed signing the principal cast for all three films, while seeking newcomers for Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner.
• Irene described her plan to make only the first three films and shoot the second and third together after the first was released to control costs.
• The parties reached a basic consensus on investment, final cut, and casting direction, leaving legal teams to settle the remaining details.
• Robert Iger asked Jerry Bruckheimer why he had not opposed Irene's demand for final cut, and Jerry said he trusted her proven skill as a director.

Jerry persuaded Robert that Irene deserved final cut on Pirates of the Caribbean, while Robert grew concerned after reviewing Pearl Harbor's weak test-screening feedback. The chapter ended with Robert realizing that Michael Eisner had approved the troubled film and held more power than Jerry.

• Jerry defended giving Irene final cut, citing her creative vision, professionalism, and agreement to a three-party review process, and Robert accepted his argument.
• Jerry warned Robert that Michael Eisner might hold him responsible if Pearl Harbor failed to meet expectations.
• Irene told Shelly to contact Johnny's agent without revealing how much she wanted him, and Shelly celebrated that Pirates of the Caribbean was moving forward with final cut and their casting recommendations.
• Robert requested Pearl Harbor's internal files and read test-screening feedback criticizing its long romance, then saw that the romance occupied 45 percent of the script.
• Robert found Michael Eisner's signature on Pearl Harbor's approval page and realized that Eisner outranked Jerry in the project.

Robert recognized that Pearl Harbor’s romance-focused story and marketing could undermine its historical credibility and audience expectations, but Michael Bay refused to revise the film before its release. At the premiere, Irene watched as the film’s spectacular attack scenes drew admiration from the audience.

• Robert reviewed the historical consultant’s rejected report and found that several scenes in Pearl Harbor conflicted with the historical record.
• Robert concluded that the film’s romance-heavy marketing misled audiences and risked damaging word of mouth, especially after Stealing the Heavens and Changing the Day’s success.
• Robert called Jerry, agreed to arrange an emergency meeting with Michael Bay, and heard Jerry warn that editing could only limit the damage.
• At Pearl Harbor’s premiere, Irene fielded reporters’ questions about the competition and told them that audiences would decide each film’s fate.
• Robert told Jerry and Irene that Michael Bay had refused to cut the romantic scenes or shorten the film, and the screening began with impressive battle scenes that drew admiration.

After Pearl Harbor disappointed audiences, Irene explained its flaws to Jerry and Robert and laid out lessons for Pirates of the Caribbean. The film’s poor reviews and Michael Bay’s criticism of audiences sparked a backlash that further damaged his reputation.

• Viewers left Pearl Harbor’s premiere disappointed by its slow romance, disjointed story, and excessive runtime.
• Irene told Jerry and Robert that Pearl Harbor lacked narrative focus, overstayed its welcome, and failed to meet the expectations set by its marketing.
• Jerry and Irene agreed that Pirates of the Caribbean should center on adventure, keep its runtime under 130 minutes, and use romance and effects to support the story.
• Irene received Shelly’s message that Stealing the Heavens and Changing the Day had passed $300 million worldwide while Pearl Harbor earned a 44% Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating.
• Michael Bay blamed audiences for failing to appreciate Pearl Harbor, prompting widespread criticism and a sharp decline in his reputation.

Irene watched Michael Bay’s public feud with audiences worsen Pearl Harbor’s prospects, while Disney shifted its resources to Shrek. She moved ahead with Pirates of the Caribbean’s costumes and makeup and encouraged Johnny Depp as he prepared to audition, though she warned him that strong competition remained.

• Irene and Shelly discussed Michael Bay’s attacks on audiences as backlash caused Pearl Harbor’s advance ticket sales to drop.
• Robert Iger decided to pull publicity resources from Pearl Harbor and focus on Shrek, prompting Michael Bay to lash out at Disney and face criticism from the media and industry figures.
• Jerry Bruckheimer told Irene that Disney’s investment had been transferred to escrow, approved her casting suggestions, and scheduled Johnny Depp’s audition for the following week.
• Irene reviewed Penny Rose’s pirate costume designs, suggested distinctive details for the pirates and Captain Jack, and asked Vera to invite makeup artist Ve Neill.
• Johnny Depp suggested adding mannerisms to his audition, and Irene encouraged him to commit to Captain Jack’s eccentricity while warning him about the competing actors and his conduct.

Irene arranged a demanding audition for Johnny Depp as he promised to commit himself to playing Captain Jack Sparrow. After reconnecting with Loren, she attended a charity auction with him and encountered his parents at the entrance.

• Johnny Depp called Irene and promised to stop drinking and follow strict rules if he got the role, insisting he was right for Captain Jack Sparrow.
• Irene scheduled Johnny's audition last and added extra time and an improvised solo to test his performance.
• Johnny agreed to Fox's three-film contract and conduct agreement despite his agent's concerns about the pay and limited bonuses.
• Irene reviewed casting choices for Captain Barbossa and Elizabeth, then promised Loren she would take a day off after he brought her dinner.
• Irene and Loren went to a Beverly Hills charity auction, where they saw Loren's parents at the entrance.

At a charity auction, Irene endured Loren's mother's disapproval of her film career and received an antique pirate compass from Loren. As auditions for Pirates of the Caribbean began, Irene faced pressure from powerful studios over who should play Captain Jack.

• Loren's mother criticized Irene's career ambitions, while Loren steered Irene into the auction hall to see the exhibits.
• Irene admired an eighteenth-century pirate compass, and Loren bought it for thirty thousand dollars and gave it to her.
• On the drive home, Irene told Loren she would not give up making movies, and Loren promised to speak with his mother and left for a weeklong business trip.
• Irene placed the compass on her nightstand, and the official auditions for Captain Jack began with major names competing for the role.
• Jerry Bruckheimer told Irene that Fox, Disney, and CAA were backing Robert De Niro, Hugh Jackman, and Jim Carrey, while she continued to insist on Johnny Depp.

Irene and the casting team auditioned Hugh Jackman and Jim Carrey for Captain Jack, finding that neither captured the character’s elusive, eccentric nature. Jim’s audition ended with Jerry asking him to restrain his comedy.

• Irene and John Owen discussed the prominent candidates for Captain Jack, including Robert De Niro, Hugh Jackman, and Jim Carrey, and agreed to judge them by their auditions.
• Hugh Jackman performed with polished authority and skilled swordplay, but Irene found him too composed and heroic for Captain Jack.
• Irene asked Hugh to perform the line as if drunk, but his attempt still seemed forced, and he acknowledged he would keep working on the role.
• Jim Carrey entered with exaggerated comic energy and improvised a series of clownish actions that amused people in the room.
• Jerry marked Jim’s portfolio with an X and told him Captain Jack needed more restraint and intelligence beneath his madness.

Johnny Depp auditioned for Captain Jack after Hugh Jackman, Jim Carrey, and Robert De Niro, whose performances did not fully suit the role. His eccentric, relaxed portrayal impressed and baffled the room, leaving Irene uncertain about what she had seen.

• Jim Carrey finished his audition, and Irene thanked him while Jerry Bruckheimer remained unimpressed by his exaggerated characterization.
• Robert De Niro performed Captain Jack with imposing authority but struggled to make the character playful, so Irene told him the role called for a freer spirit.
• The Disney and Fox representatives grew discouraged after Hugh Jackman and Robert De Niro's auditions, while the CAA representative remained hopeful about Jim Carrey.
• Johnny Depp entered in casual, weathered clothes and portrayed Captain Jack as a languid, drunken pirate with a mischievous streak.
• Johnny Depp improvised a clever response to being captured and danced with a white feather in his hair, leaving the room divided and Irene furrowing her brow in thought.

After the auditions, Irene and Jerry Bruckheimer weighed the four candidates and agreed that Jim Carrey and Johnny Depp came closest to Captain Jack, though both needed to reveal more of the character’s inner life. Jerry asked Irene to choose between them, and she firmly argued that Depp best fit the role.

• Johnny Depp gave a captivating audition, but Irene felt his performance emphasized Captain Jack’s outward madness and missed his loneliness and hidden pain.
• After Hugh Jackman, Robert De Niro, Jim Carrey, and Johnny Depp finished auditioning, the producers debated their strengths and weaknesses.
• Jerry Bruckheimer and Irene agreed that Carrey and Depp were the closest fits and proposed inviting them back for costumed auditions and discussing a three-film commitment.
• Jerry stopped Irene after the meeting and asked her directly whether Carrey or Depp was better for the role, revealing that he was also an investor in the film.
• Irene told Jerry she had chosen Depp from the moment she recommended him and explained that Captain Jack’s madness concealed calculation, devotion to freedom, and insight.

Irene and Jerry discussed why Johnny Depp was better suited than Jim Carrey to play Captain Jack, and Irene invited Vivian and other classmates to join the film crew. After learning she was two practical-activity credits short of graduation, Irene considered volunteering at USC’s upcoming art exhibition.

• Jerry agreed that Irene had used Jim Carrey’s and Johnny Depp’s auditions to illustrate Captain Jack’s contrasting qualities, and Irene explained why she had not insisted on Depp alone.
• Irene told Vivian that Depp was the leading choice for Captain Jack and offered to let Vivian and interested classmates work on the film crew as production assistants, assistants, or extras.
• Vivian warned Irene that she lacked two practical-activity credits and might have to delay graduation if she did not earn them.
• Vivian pointed out that USC’s art exhibition needed volunteers and would award two practical-activity credits for helping organize it.
• Irene read the exhibition poster and considered volunteering, since she could leave auditions for minor roles to John Owen and the others.

Irene volunteered at USC’s painting exhibition and unexpectedly encountered Loren there with Ellie, his friend from Europe who looked much like her. After Ellie invited them to visit her New Zealand farm, Irene returned to her volunteer post, leaving Loren to explore with Ellie.

• Irene agreed to volunteer at the exhibition after Vivian promised the training would not interfere with her casting work.
• On June 20, Irene and Vivian welcomed visitors at the painting exhibition and Vivian pointed out art students Tom and Lily.
• Irene spotted Loren arriving with a woman who looked like her, and Loren was surprised to see Irene.
• Loren introduced the woman as Ellie, his friend from Europe, and Ellie greeted Irene and invited her and Loren to visit her family’s farm in New Zealand.
• Irene returned to her volunteer post, and Loren asked her to call him when she finished.

Irene struggled with jealousy as Loren spent time with Ellie at the art exhibition, then noticed a handsome stranger whose build felt familiar. After the exhibition and her junior year ended, she focused on preparing Pirates of the Caribbean and reviewed the male-lead audition list the night before auditions.

• Vivian warned Irene that Ellie seemed unusually close to Loren, and Irene watched them discuss paintings together.
• Vivian pointed out a handsome young man at the gallery, but Irene saw only his back and felt she recognized his build.
• The five-day exhibition ended without Irene seeing Loren or the mysterious stranger again.
• Irene completed her junior-year credits and turned her attention to preparing Pirates of the Caribbean.
• On the night before auditions for Will Turner, Irene reviewed an impressive list of candidates in her transformed studio.

Irene reviewed candidates for Will Turner and found Henry Cavill among the audition profiles, recalling their past in Hawaii. Shelly praised Henry’s acting and fit for the role, but Irene reserved judgment ahead of the auditions.

• Irene compared several actors’ profiles against her requirements for Will Turner and stopped when she saw Henry Cavill’s name.
• Irene remembered meeting Henry in Hawaii two years earlier and wondered when he had begun acting.
• Shelly told Irene that Henry had impressed him in The Count of Monte Cristo and had passed John Owen’s review.
• Irene explained that Will needed strong acting, agility, and a principled presence to stand alongside Jack.
• Shelly said Henry and Heath Ledger were the strongest candidates, while Irene ruled out several others based on their appearance or acting.