But for a daring soul like Captain Edward Hunter, this wild outpost in the New World can also lead to great fortune, if he abides by the island's code. In this steamy climate, life can end swiftly by dysentery - or dagger. Devoid of London's luxuries, Port Royal, its capital, is a cutthroat town of taverns, grog shops, and bawdy houses. A remote colony of the English crown, the island of Jamaica holds out against the vast supremacy of the Spanish empire. It's a mission movie, and we see it through the prism of what it might have been like to live on the island during that time.' Here is the official synopsis from the book itself: So what is Pirate Latitudes about? Well, Dreamworks has described it as, 'a daring plan to infiltrate Port Royal, one of the world's richest and most notorious cities, and raid a Spanish galleon filled with treasure. Michael felt the same, and we like to think he still does.'Īpparently Spielberg has always wanted to make a pirate movie, and I say what better way to delve into that genere than by basing it on the work of a long-time friend and collaborator? Comparisons are already being drawn to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (probably because Spielberg has done his fair share of blockbusters and he's now doing a pirate movie), but word is that Pirate Latitudes will be a lot more grounded in reality, and that Spielberg's Dreamworks partner, Stacey Snider, says they don't want to 'interfere' with the Pirates franchise. Whenever I made a film from a Michael Crichton book or screenplay, I knew I was in good hands. Michael and I have had almost two decades of solid collaborations.

'Michael wrote a real page-turner that already seems suited for the big screen.

Michael crichton pirate