‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ Passes China Censorship

No China release date for the fifth Pirates film has been announced yet.

Disney’s Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has been approved for cinemas in China, according to sources familiar with the matter, but a release date is yet to be announced.

Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, the film marks the third time the franchise has made it to what is now the world’s second-largest entertainment market.

A decade ago, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End was the first of the series to show in China and ended up earning  RMB 125 million  (USD$18.1 million). In 2011, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides pulled in RMB 476 million ($69 million).

Earlier this month it was announced that all of the previous installments in the franchise will screen in the out of competition section of this year’s Beijing International Film Festival — the first clear sign the newest film would also make it to the Chinese market.

The film sees  Johnny Depp return as Captain Jack Sparrow as he is chased down by a group of “deadly ghost pirates” lead by new arch-nemesis Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem).

While a China release date is yet to be announced, the film is confirmed to be coming out in North America on May 26.

The impending release in China will no doubt help bolster attendance at the Shanghai Disney Resort, which opened in June 2016.

The resort has become an obligatory stop for stars of Disney films since it opened. Late last month the cast of Beauty and the Beast including Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, and Josh Gad met fans at the resort ahead of its release on March 17.

The resort received close to 8 million visitors in the first nine months since opening last year, according to Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger.