Fans of Keira Knightley have been revisiting comments the actress made about her 2004 pirate adventure film, in which she admitted she felt the project was unnecessary and that its story had already been told many times before. The remarks are notable given the film went on to become a major commercial success and launched a long-running franchise, making her scepticism at the time seem at odds with the eventual outcome.

Knightley has said she initially found the role daunting and questioned the point of making another instalment of a familiar swashbuckling tale, feeling audiences had already seen similar stories repeatedly. Despite her reservations, the film proved hugely popular and became a defining role of her early career, with the article noting the disconnect between her private doubts and the movie's lasting impact.