May 19 2008'Blackbeard' Pirate Movie Will Probably Have a Humorous MPAA Rating

With the recognition of Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day, the existence of ironic pirate tattoos and apparel, and pirate references often being confused with humor, I rank pirates alongside ninjas and robots as something that's fun in moderation (and Lego sets) but really obnoxious as a prominent cultural obsession. Now a movie about Blackbeard is in the works, and in a shocking change of heart, I've decided I might be able to forego my bitterness to give it a chance. Mostly because Barry Josephson--owner of a pirate museum and voted Most Likely to Become Mikey's Dad from The Goonies in high school--and the writer of Amistad and Gladiator are involved, and will likely ensure it's not a tongue-in-cheek wreck. From Variety:

DreamWorks is bringing a project on the life of legendary pirate Blackbeard to the bigscreen.

David Franzoni, who wrote "Amistad" and "Gladiator" for the studio, will pen "Blackbeard," which delves into the life of British buccaneer Edward Teach.

Barry Josephson ("Enchanted") is producing alongside motivational speaker and former Philadelphia 76ers prexy/co-owner Pat Croce, who wrote "Pirate Soul," a book that chronicled the golden era of piracy, which spanned 1690-1730.

If LucasArts announces another Monkey Island video game, I will officially pronounce this Year of Me Not Hating Pirate Stuff That Much. At least until I realize how annoying it is that I've created a second pirate holiday.

Pirate pic sets sail at DreamWorks [Variety]

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