Snorting remark by Keith Richards doesn't sit well with Disney
He has a cameo in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End,' but he 'won't be doing a lot of publicity for this movie.'
By Sheigh Crabtree, Special to The Times
April 5, 2007
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Snorting a speedball of cocaine and dear old dad may be the stuff of rock 'n' roll legend but apparently it's not the sort of tale told to children at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Keith Richards' macabre remark about snorting a mixture of cocaine and the cremated remains of his deceased father may have amused music fans with its ghoulish sensibilities, but it caused a moment of alarm inside Walt Disney Studios, home to the movie marketing team behind the upcoming "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."
Richards has a much-anticipated cameo as Teague Sparrow, father of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), in the hit franchise opening May 25. While drinking, womanizing and cannibalism may be comedic themes that course through the film, the real-life substance abuse and off-screen antics of "Pirates" stars are no laughing matters when it comes to marketing and publicizing one of the summer's biggest family films.
"When [a senior Disney publicist] forwarded the [Richards] story to me ... I thought, 'How are we going to spin this?' " Dennis Rice, Disney's senior vice president for publicity, said during a presentation to the media of the studio's upcoming films Wednesday morning.
As a result of Richards' remark, which was later discounted by his representatives as just a joke, it is likely that the rocker's appearances on the red carpet in support of the film will be curtailed.
"Keith won't be doing a lot of publicity for this movie," Rice added.
The Disney spokesman also addressed persistent rumors of future "Pirates" films, noting that despite reports to the contrary, no decisions have been made about the fourth, fifth or sixth films.
" 'At World's End' really is the end of the trilogy, bringing 'Pirates' 1 and 2 full circle," he said.
The sequel to "Pirates" has made more than $1 billion in worldwide box office since it was released last July. |
