The filming of the highly-anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, Deadman’s Chest, is wrapping up in Grand Bahama, according to Michael Singer, unit publicist and press liaison officer for the production.
“We are finishing mid-week [and] this completes our location photography in the Caribbean region,” Mr. Singer told The Bahama Journal on Monday.
Pirates of the Caribbean II and III were shot at The Bahamas Films Studios at Gold Rock Creek in East Grand Bahama.
Mr. Singer said while there were only a few days left of filming in Grand Bahama, production continues on Pirate of the Caribbean III.
“We will be doing more filming on Pirates of the Caribbean III beginning again in late summer,” he said. “That will be mostly local production in the Los Angeles area.”
Mr. Singer said while the majority of the crew will be leaving the island, some members of the production team will need to stay behind to “do wrap-up work.”
“A production of this size will always need a little time to wrap things up and to pack and to close down production properly,” he explained.
Filming of the Disney movies, which started in Los Angeles on February 28, 2005, moved next to St Vincent and then Dominica in late March.
Production started in the Exumas last June and in Grand Bahama Island in September.
Mr. Singer said the production opened up employment and training opportunities for residents interested in being a part of the movie business.
“There were a great many talented Bahamians who have worked on the production in a variety of positions,” he said. “They have gained a lot of experience of the filming process which they can use for other films to come.”
Paul R. Quigley, chief operating officer of Gold Rock Creek Enterprises Ltd, told The Journal that Grand Bahama Island can expect future projects.
“We do have a couple, maybe three movies that need to be scheduled, so we’re looking at what their needs are as far as the infrastructure and how we schedule them,” he said.
“One of them is 100 percent in Grand Bahama. It is mainly a tank picture so we will shoot that at the Bahamas Film Studios Water Tank.”
Bahamian officials expected the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean II & III to provide a significant economic boost, saying it would pump some $30 million into the island’s economy.
Mr. Quigley said the benefits of the product were “phenomenal” as the project provided “wide economic impact for Grand Bahama.”
“I hear stories of lots of different people throughout the islands that they have benefited enormously,” Mr. Quigley said.
There were about 250 Bahamians employed, according to production officials. Mr. Quigley said they included some “very talented people” who should be employed on other productions.
Pirates of the Caribbean II is schedule to begin showing on July 7, 2006 in the United States and the untitled sequel, Caribbean III, will be released sometime in 2007.
On behalf of the production team, Mr. Singer thanked Bahamians in the Exumas, and on Grand Bahama Island for the hospitality he said they extended.
By: Daphne McIntosh, The Bahama Journal
