James Ward Byrkit (also known as James Byrkit or Jim Byrkit) is an American filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his many collaborations with director Gore Verbinski. Byrkit was the conceptual consultant and storyboard artist on the first three films of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, having helped create several props and designed some of the most iconic sequences of Gore Verbinski's trilogy. Byrkit also directed Tales of the Code: Wedlocked (2011), a short film and an immediate prequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). [1]
Byrkit is also known for directing the science fiction thriller Coherence and co-writing the script for Rango , also directed by Gore Verbinski. [2] For Rango, Byrkit starred as several characters, most notably Waffles, a horned lizard.
Byrkit's debut feature Coherence earned critical and audience praise [3] [4] [5] [6] and garnered attention for his unconventional approach in the making of the film as "proof that inventive filmmakers can do a lot with a little", [7] [8] [9] and identifying him as a groundbreaking talent. [10] Since its release, Coherence has become an international sensation [11] and regularly appears on ranking lists of best films. [12] [13] [14]
Byrkit's follow-up project, Shatter Belt , is an episodic series in the tradition of Twilight Zone. Production on the first four episodes was completed in 2022, with the world premiere scheduled for 2023 at the SXSW Film & TV Festival.
In the Disney+ series Prop Culture , Byrkit made a guest appearance with concept artist Crash McCreery to discuss their work in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl . [15]
Short film
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | Yes, and... | Yes | Yes | No |
Fractalus | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2011 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Tales of the Code: Wedlocked | Yes | No | No |
Feature film
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Role |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Rango | No | Story | No | Waffles |
2013 | Coherence | Yes | Yes | Executive | |
2016 | The Forest | No | No | Co-producer |
Television
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Stop at Nothing | Yes | No | TV movie | |
Special Unit 2 | Yes | No | Episode "The Rocks" | ||
2020 | Prop Culture | No | No | Himself | Disney+ docuseries; Episode: "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" |
2023 | Shatter Belt | Yes | Yes | 4 episodes |
Video game
Year | Title | Director | Writer |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Rango | Yes | Yes |
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 American fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film is based on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disney theme parks and is the first film in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. The film stars Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley. The plot follows the pirate Jack Sparrow (Depp) and the blacksmith Will Turner (Bloom), as they attempt to rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth Swann (Knightley). The trio encounters Captain Hector Barbossa (Rush) and the crew of the Black Pearl, who are afflicted by a supernatural curse.
Captain Jack Sparrow is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and franchise. An early iteration of Sparrow was created by screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, but the final version of the character was created by actor Johnny Depp, who also portrayed him.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 American fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. The sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), it is the second installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Set one year after the events of The Curse of the Black Pearl, the film recounts Captain Jack Sparrow owing a debt to Davy Jones, the ghastly captain of the Flying Dutchman, and being marked for death and pursued by the Kraken. Meanwhile, the wedding of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann is interrupted by Lord Cutler Beckett, who wants Turner to acquire Jack's magic compass in a bid to find the Dead Man's Chest.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is a 2007 American epic fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Gore Verbinski, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and written by the writing team of Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. The direct sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), it is the third installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Set a few months after Dead Man's Chest, the story follows an urgent quest to locate and rescue Captain Jack Sparrow, trapped on a sea of sand in Davy Jones' Locker, and convene the Brethren Court in a war against the East India Trading Company. In an uneasy alliance, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Hector Barbossa, and the crew of the Black Pearl rescue Jack and prepare to fight Lord Cutler Beckett, who controls Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman.
Gregor Justin "Gore" Verbinski is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing Mouse Hunt, The Ring, the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, and Rango. For his work on Rango, Verbinski won both the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film.
Davy Jones is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series based upon the legendary character of the same name. He is portrayed through motion capture by Bill Nighy and voiced by Nighy and Robin Atkin Downes. In the movie franchise, he is first mentioned in the film The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and appears in Dead Man's Chest (2006) as well as At World's End (2007).
The Black Pearl is a fictional ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. In the screenplay, the ship is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. Captained by Captain Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa, the Black Pearl is said to be "nigh uncatchable". In the first three films, she either overtakes or flees all other ships, including both the Interceptor, which is regarded as the fastest ship in the Caribbean, and the Flying Dutchman, which is faster than the wind. Her speed is derived from several factors such as the large number of sails she carries and being partly supernatural. As stated in Dead Man's Chest and At World's End, the Black Pearl is "the only ship that can outrun the Dutchman" and this is evidenced in the maelstrom battle between the two ships in the movies.
Vanessa Lynn Branch is an English-born American actress and model. She is best known in the United States as the Orbit Gum girl for its 2002 to 2010 television marketing campaign, as well as Giselle in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, specifically Gore Verbinski's trilogy and James Ward Byrkit's short film Tales of the Code: Wedlocked.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is the official soundtrack album from the film of the same name. The album was released on July 22, 2003, by Walt Disney Records, and contains selections of music from the film score. The music of the film and this album are credited to composer Klaus Badelt and composer and producer Hans Zimmer.
Justin Haythe is an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his book The Honeymoon, and the screenplay for Revolutionary Road, directed by Sam Mendes.
Pirates of the Caribbean is an American fantasy supernatural swashbuckler film series produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and based on Walt Disney's theme park attraction of the same name. The film series serves as a major component of the titular media franchise. Based on a fictionalized version of the Golden Age of Piracy, the films' plots are set primarily in the Caribbean.
Stephen Elliott Rivkin is an American film editor and music video director. He is best known for his editing work on the Pirates of the Caribbean film series as well as his work with director James Cameron as an editor on Avatar, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. Rivkin has edited three films for director Norman Jewison; Rivkin has worked extensively with director Gore Verbinski. Rivkin is an elected member of the American Cinema Editors and currently serves as the president of the organization. He was also associate producer on two films.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 American fantasy swashbuckler film directed by Rob Marshall and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, from a screenplay by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. The fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, it is a standalone sequel to At World's End (2007), and is loosely based on the 1987 novel On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. Johnny Depp, Kevin R. McNally and Geoffrey Rush reprise their roles from the previous films, with Penélope Cruz and Ian McShane joining the cast. The story follows the eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow on a quest for the Fountain of Youth after crossing paths with Angelica, a mysterious woman from his past, and being forced aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard.
Penny Rose is a British costume designer who has worked in the film industry since the 1970s. Rose has been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design three times for the films Evita (1996), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006).
The 39th Annual Annie Awards honoring the best in animation of 2011 were held on February 4, 2012, at Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California.
Rango is a 2011 American animated action comedy Western film directed by Gore Verbinski from a screenplay by John Logan. Co-produced by Verbinski with Graham King and John B. Carls, the film stars the voices of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Winstone and Timothy Olyphant. The film's plot centers on Rango (Depp), a pet chameleon who ends up in the town of Dirt, an outpost that is in desperate need of a new sheriff. Rango was produced by Nickelodeon Movies, Verbinski's Blind Wink Productions, and King's GK Films, and distributed by Paramount Pictures, with the animation provided by Industrial Light & Magic.
Addison Teague is a sound editor who has done sound editing on 42 films since 1993. He was nominated for an Academy Award during the 83rd Academy Awards for the film Tron: Legacy. This was for Best Sound Editing, his nomination was shared with Gwendolyn Yates Whittle.
Coherence is a 2013 American science fiction horror film directed by James Ward Byrkit in his directorial debut. The film had its world debut on September 19, 2013, at Fantastic Fest and stars Emily Foxler as a woman who must deal with strange occurrences following the close passing of a comet.
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