You might not know him by name, but you would definitely recognize actor Greg Ellis if you saw his face. Ellis has appeared on dozens of popular television shows such as X-Files, Nip/Tuck, Trust Me, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and season three of 24 as biological weapons dealer Michael Amador. He’s also had roles in several successful feature films including the Academy Award-winning Titanic, Beowulf, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek where the actor had the honor of being the new franchise’s first official “red shirt” (a stock character who dies soon after being introduced). But Ellis is best known for his role as Lieutenant Theodore Groves in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, including last summer’s mega-hit Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which is available now on Blu-ray and DVD.

Ellis first played Groves in the original Pirates movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and while he did not appear in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, he did return to the series for the third chapter, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. But the actor’s largest role in the series came with the most recent edition to the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. In the film, Groves is promoted to Lieutenant Commander while working with Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) aboard the H.M.S. Providence to find the Fountain of Youth. He aids Barbossa and Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) on their quest to find the Fountain and claims it for the British Empire before ultimately battling Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and the Spaniards.

I recently had a chance to speak with actor Greg Ellis about Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The actor spoke candidly with me about the film, his character’s evolution, playing sidekick to Geoffrey Rush’s Barbossa, the differences between working with the film’s director Rob Marshall and former Pirates director Gore Verbinski, his reaction the first time he saw Johnny Depp play Jack Sparrow, playing the first “red shirt” in Star Trek, and the loophole that J.J. Abrams has come up with so that Ellis can possibly appear in Star Trek 2.

As an audience, we're grown increasingly jaded regarding visual effects in our modern blockbusters.  The sheer number of blockbuster movies with show-stopping visual effects sequences has given us a shorthand, an easy and often unconscious understanding of what works and what doesn't.  The arrival of every new huge spectacular movie brings with it the expectation that the figurative bar will be raised, particularly when that would-be blockbuster is the latest installment in a franchise known for its envelope-pushing digital creations.

Such was the case for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in a franchise that has included undead pirates, fish-men, massive maritime battles, and even an ocean goddess.  For the first film in the series not directed by Gore Verbinski, the story saw the introduction of zombies, and more importantly, some truly memorably mermaids.  Aaron McBride has been crucial to the visual effects on all four Pirates films, serving as the art director on the first three and visual effects art director for On Stranger Tides.

In his time at Industrial Light and Magic, McBride has built up a resume that includes the likes of Minority Report, Iron Man, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.  In a roundtable interview with entertainment writers from around the world promoting tomorrow's release of Pirates of Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, McBride discussed the unique challenges and accomplishments of the sequel.  It's an interview that sheds some light on the intricacies involved in creating those visual effects that often flash by in no time at all.

Johnny Depp has been set on starring as Nick Charles – one half of the husband-and-wife investigating duo Nick and Nora Charles – in a remake of The Thin Man for roundabouts a year now.  Having proven that he and Depp are a billion dollar combination, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides helmer Rob Marshall is officially set to direct the new tale.  The movie will be based, probably quite loosely, on the novel by noir-master Dashiel Hammett, but the film has experienced some turbulence in the screenwriting department, with two writers proving to be non-starters.  Now, though, The Thin Man has a new writer in the form of Billy Ray.

The 1934 film The Thin Man, based on the novel of the same name by the inimitable noir novelist Dashiell Hammett, spawned a hugely popular franchise with five sequels starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a husband-and-wife investigatorial team known for their witty verbal repartee and also for being extremely high-functioning alcoholics.  None other than international movie star Johnny Depp has been attached to star as Nick Charles in a big budget The Thin Man remake with Rob Marshall directing, and now the project has a new screenwriter with no shortage of blockbuster bona-fides: David Koepp.

Almost a decade ago in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow was a swishingly effeminate wild-card sidekick to the squeaky-clean romantic lead played by Orlando Bloom.  As the most popular and indispensable element of the franchise, Sparrow's prominence increased in successive entries, finally just taking over as protagonist in this summer's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  With On Stranger Tides grossing over a billion dollars worldwide, the already-inevitable fifth and (probably) sixth installments are now even more inevitable.  A new rumor suggests that for the future of the series, Depp, who by now has a major creative role in the films, wants British comedian Russell Brand to play an even more swishingly effeminate sidekick for erstwhile supporting player Sparrow.

Back in the days before audiences really gave a rat's ruby starfruit about box office grosses, conventional wisdom held that the sequel game was generally one of diminishing returns, with each new entry earning less money than the film that preceded it.  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth installment of the franchise, opened with an estimated $90.1 million in its first three days.  That haul qualifies the Johnny Depp vehicle as the biggest debut weekend of 2011 so far, but it also established that the Pirates series has been performed somewhat more like an old-fashioned franchise. 

Captain Jack Sparrow is back! Opening in theaters today is the long awaited forth chapter of the beloved Pirates of the Caribbean series, this one entitled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The first film in the series, 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, was based on the Disney theme park ride of the same name and surprised everyone by becoming a financial and critical hit, as well as rejuvenating Johnny Depp’s career and earning him his first Academy Award nomination. The filmmakers followed up on the success of the original movie by shooting two sequels back-to-back, ‘2006s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, as well as ‘2007s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. While both films were financial successes, neither movie scored as well with fans or critics as the first one.

But now, with the series having earned almost $2.6 billion worldwide up to this point, super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer (National Treasure), as well as actors Johnny Depp (Rango) and Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush (Shine) return once again to the popular Pirates franchise for another fun-packed thrill-ride. In addition to the return of Depp and Rush, the film welcomes several new cast members including Oscar winner Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) as Jack Sparrow’s love interest, and Ian McShane (TV’s Deadwood), as the film’s dangerous new villain. The series also gets a new director with this installment as Academy Award nominee Rob Marshall (Chicago) takes over the duties from Gore Verbinski, who directed the first three films in the franchise.

Prepare for an onslaught of articles starting with, "Hi-ho, Silver!"  Back in April, Armie Hammer was revealed to be in talks with Disney and director Gore Verbinski to play the iconic western hero in The Lone Ranger, which will star Johnny Depp as the masked ranger's Native American sidekick Tonto.  Since, then, casting talk has quieted down, with producer Jerry Bruckheimer staying mum on the reported casting.  Now, no less a source than Variety reports that Hammer is "finalizing a deal" to star in his most high profile role yet.

For the two people in all of America who were not yet aware that this Friday sees the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Disney has released two behind-the-scenes featurettes on the fourth installment of the swashbucking uber-franchise starring Johnny Depp.  The first focuses on the supporting players, including Penelope Cruz, Sam Claflin and returning actors Geoffrey Rush and Kevin McNally.  The second offers new looks at Ian McShane's Blackbeard, his zombie crew, and the mermaids who terrorize unsuspecting pirates.  Give 'em both a watch and shiver your timbers, whatever that means.

Johnny Depp has wanted to do a new adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel 'The Thin Man' for a while now, and we've known since October that ideally, he would reteam with his Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides director Rob Marshall.  Well, it seems that what Depp wants, Depp gets. Marshall is officially on board to direct Depp as witty drunk Nick Charles and his yet-to-be-cast wife Nora in The Thin Man.