Luke stood on the deck of the Black Pearl, gripping a long spear.
This Black Pearl was a set built specifically for indoor filming. Since it didn't need to actually sail, the waterproofing, sails, and steering were kept pretty basic—just a shell modeled after the real thing. This "indoor version" of the Black Pearl also had pre-set breakaway sections. During filming, cranes and other machinery could be used to make the ship split apart or tilt, creating the illusion of being ravaged by a monster.
Today's scene was a big one: the plot had the Kraken, a massive sea beast, attacking the Black Pearl. Turner, the ship's strongest fighter, would face the creature head-on with his spear. But as a mere mortal, Turner was no match for the Kraken's sheer power. Instead of a direct fight, he opted for a daring plan—running and leaping across the ship to distract the beast, buying time for his crew.
The Black Pearl's crew worked fast, loading barrels of gunpowder into a huge net, essentially crafting a massive cluster bomb. In the end, Captain Jack would fire a shot to detonate the explosives, temporarily driving the Kraken back.
The set was ready, and Director Verbinski gave the signal: "Action!"
The clapperboard snapped, and filming began.
Turner stood on the deck when a violent tremor shook the ship beneath his feet.
"It's here!" Captain Jack shouted, his voice laced with panic.
"Who?" Turner asked.
"The Kraken! We're done for!" Jack replied.
"What? Why's that monster after us?" a crew member cried out in terror.
"No one's ever escaped its jaws. This time, we're really screwed!" another crew member wailed, despair in his voice.
"Pull it together! The Kraken's not unbeatable. I escaped it once before!" Turner said, referring to the time his previous ship was sunk by the Kraken, and he survived by riding a great white shark to safety. "We've got a shot at fighting it off. It's not over yet!" he rallied the crew.
Under Turner's command, the crew scrambled into action.
Amid the chaotic preparations, Captain Jack sneaked to the stern, where a lifeboat was tethered. He untied the ropes and climbed in. "You guys don't know how terrifying the Kraken is. This is like throwing pebbles at a mountain. Sorry, I'm out!" he muttered, rowing the lifeboat away to save himself.
Just then, giant octopus-like tentacles rose from the depths, wrapping tightly around the Black Pearl. (Visual effects to be added in post-production.)
"Jack? Where's Captain Jack?" Elizabeth shouted, looking for him to give the order to attack. When she couldn't find him, she turned to Turner and yelled, "Turner! The Kraken's here!"
"Got it! Fire!" Turner commanded loudly.
At Luke's order, the cannons on both sides of the Black Pearl roared to life.
Boom!
Boom!
Cannonballs slammed into the massive tentacles, tearing open wounds. Foul-smelling blood splattered across the deck. In pain, the tentacles writhed and retreated back into the sea.
"Hell yeah! We did it!"
"We beat back the Kraken!"
The crew cheered wildly.
But Turner, who had survived the Kraken before, stayed grim. He knew this level of damage was barely a scratch to the beast.
"It's not over yet," he warned. "The Kraken's still out there. Get every gunpowder barrel we have and bundle them together—now!"
"Elizabeth, you're in charge of detonating the barrels," Turner said, handing her a musket.
"Jack! Captain Jack bailed!" a crew member shouted, pointing to the lifeboat in the distance.
The crew followed his gaze and spotted Jack rowing away alone.
"What kind of captain abandons his ship?" the crew cursed in anger.
"Coward!" Elizabeth spat.
"Forget him. The Kraken's coming back!" Turner shouted, sounding the alarm again.
This time, the Kraken didn't bother wrapping the ship—it slammed its massive tentacles down onto the deck.
Thud!
Wood splintered as the impact sent debris flying. Several crew members were crushed instantly.
"Get inside the cabins and secure the barrels!" Turner yelled.
"What about you?" someone asked.
"I'll buy you some time!" Turner replied, gripping his spear and charging toward the Kraken's massive tentacles.
Luke leaped high, his spear flashing like lightning as he thrust it forward. Suddenly, the spear stopped, as if hitting something tough, though nothing was there. This was Luke's "empty air" fight scene—post-production would add the Kraken's tentacles at the spear's tip.
To the audience, it would look like Luke's spear pierced the Kraken's tentacle, but only shallowly.
Struggling against the resistance, Turner poured every ounce of strength into a second push. The spear slowly sank deeper, giving the impression of immense effort against an unyielding force. With a sudden upward jerk, Turner slashed the spear, carving through as if breaking a tough barrier.
Though Luke was slicing through empty air, no viewer would think so. His strained expression and trembling but determined spear made it feel like he was cutting through the Kraken's tough flesh.
"Luke's performance is unreal," Director Verbinski said. "He's thrusting and slashing at nothing, but it doesn't feel abstract at all. I can totally picture him fighting a giant tentacle in my head."
"It's because his spear work is so damn good," Bob replied. "Even against empty air, he mimics the feel and resistance of hitting something solid. It's so realistic. Do you think this counts as acting? Could Luke win an Oscar for this?"
Verbinski paused, then said, "That's a tough one. Traditional action scenes are more about showing off fighting skills, so they're not usually seen as 'acting.' But Luke's empty-air combat? There's so much performance in it. It's hard to say where the line is."