Keira Knightley thought “Pirates of the Caribbean” was going to be a disaster, and we’re so glad she was wrong

Who would’ve thought that a fantasy about a deranged pirate fighting unworldly creatures would turn into a phenomenon? Many movie critics would have said “no,” initially. According to Love Actually director Richard Curtis, Keira Knightly thought Pirates of the Caribbean was doomed.

In an op-ed piece published to Radio Times, Curtis reminisced about where the 2003 rom-com stars were in their careers once the film wrapped. At the time, Keira Knightly was a talented actress without a ton of fame, though her early films were well-liked. Unbeknownst to her, Knightley was getting ready to embark on an unforeseen journey to superstardom.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star calling the franchise a “disaster” in its beginning stages shows why we should never judge a book by its cover.

Curtis sets the scene for the now-infamous Knightley comment below, saying:

"When we shot the film, I remember Keira Knightley saying that her next project was ‘some pirate thing — probably a disaster.'"

If we hadn’t seen the movie and just heard the premise, we probably would agree with the English star!

After all, on paper, a movie starring Johnny Depp and Legolas as pirates fighting other ghost pirates sounds completely insane. But Hollywood worked its magic, and we’re sure Knightley was pretty pleased with the result!

Knightley’s prejudgement was completely off , but how could she know the films would launch her to A-lister status?  We bet these days, she’s pretty darn happy she took on that whole “pirate thing.”