Actor Johnny Depp appears on the red carpet at the world premiere of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," held at Shanghai Disney Resort in Shanghai on May 12, 2017. [Photo/ China.org.cn]

Hot Shanghai became even hotter as iconic actor Johnny Depp and fellow cast members appeared at Shanghai Disney Resort on Thursday for the world premiere of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," one of most anticipated Hollywood summer blockbusters.

The studio repeatedly stressed in press releases and promotional materials that this is the first time a Hollywood blockbluster has its world premiere ceremony in China, indicating their high expectations for the world's second largest film market.

Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem and Brenton Thwaites, Norwegian directorial duo of Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who has produced the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise since its very beginning, walked the red carpet in front of hundreds of screaming fans. However, leading actress Kaya Scodelario was absent from the ceremony.

Depp said he draws much inspiration from cartoons he's watched with his young kids since the first installment and described his iconic character Captain Jack Sparrow as rebellious, innocent, sometimes silly and a drunkard. His fellow actors also shared their deep admiration for Depp's charisma and his Captain Sparrow role. Bloom, who is back in the franchise after his absence from the fourth installment, said that collaborating with Depp is one of the main reasons he decided to reprise his role.

The cast and crew also visited the Treasure Cove at the Shanghai Disneyland, the first time the real-life actors of the franchise had visited the "Pirates of the Caribbean" themed ride in Disneyland.

Previous "Pirates of the Caribbean" films have grossed over US$3.7 billion worldwide as of January 2015, putting the film franchise 11th in the list of all-time highest grossing franchises and film series.

The first installment was released in China in 2003 and only grossed 27 million yuan. The second installment wasn’t imported to China. The third grossed 126 million yuan in 2007. The fourth earned 464 million yuan in China in 2011 as the market expanded. Box office analysts expect the new installment may hit the 1.5 billion yuan mark this year.

"Dead Men Tell No Tales" tells the story of Captain Jack Sparrow as he’s pursued by an old nemesis, Armando Salazar, who along with his Spanish Navy ghost crew has escaped from the Devil's Triangle and is determined to kill every pirate at sea. Jack, aided by new allies Henry and Carina, must seek the Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that grants its possessor total control over the seas, in order to defeat Salazar. It will debut on May 26 in both China and North America.

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