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), At World's End (2007), and briefly in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).
Davy Jones is the near-immortal god of passing to the afterlife and Jack Sparrow's and Will Turner's archenemy. He is the captain of the Flying Dutchman (based on the legendary ghost ship of the same name), whose crew consists of humans who traded 100 years of servitude for immortality, and master of The Kraken.
The computer-generated imagery and motion capture technology used to complete Davy Jones earned VFX company Industrial Light & Magic the 2006 Academy Award for Visual Effects and was considered revolutionary. Despite the mixed reception of Dead Man's Chest and At World's End, Nighy's performance as Davy Jones was praised, and the character was named as one of Entertainment Weekly'''s "10 Favorite CG Characters" in 2007.
The Pirates of the Caribbean series was inspired by the Disney theme park ride of the same name, where the character of Davy Jones is mentioned. When the ride was revamped in 2006, the character as portrayed by Bill Nighy was added to it. He also appeared in the attractions The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland, as well as several spin-off novels, including the Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow series and The Price of Freedom. Davy Jones appeared in video games like LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, Disney Infinity, Kingdom Hearts III, Fortnite, and Disney Speedstorm.
Conception and creation
Before officially casting Bill Nighy, producers also met Jim Broadbent, Iain Glen and Richard E. Grant for the role. Other actors considered for the role included Christopher Walken and Ian McShane, with the latter being cast later as Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Like the entire crew of the Flying Dutchman (except "Bootstrap Bill"), Davy Jones' physical appearance is completely computer-generated.Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, second disc, "Meet Davy Jones" Nighy's performance was recorded using motion capture during filming on the set, with Nighy wearing several markers in both a grey suit and his face, rather than in a studio during post-production. Nighy wore make-up around his eyes, since the original plan was to use his real eyes in the digital character if necessary to get the proper lighting. In addition, he also wore make-up on his lips and around his mouth, to assist in the motion capture of his character's Scottish accent. Davy Jones briefly appears as a human for a single scene in the third film, played by Nighy in costume. Several reviewers have in fact mistakenly identified Nighy as wearing prosthetic makeup or a latex mask due to the computer-generated character's photorealism.
Design and appearance The physique of Davy Jones and the other crew of the Flying Dutchman was designed by the films' producers to be a mixture of various aquatic flora and fauna features. In the third film, Tia Dalma reveals it is the fate of the captain and crew of the Dutchman should they fail or abandon their duties on board.
Jones has prehensile octopus-like appendages resembling a beard, a prominent sac on his head, and a siphon in place of his nose. Additionally, he has a crustacean-style claw for his left arm, a long tentacle in place of the index finger on his right hand, and the right leg of a crab (resembling a pegleg). It is revealed in the bonus features of the Special Edition DVD that Jones' skin color was partly inspired by a coffee-stained styrofoam cup which was then scanned into ILM's computers to be used as such.
Jones speaks with a distinguishable, thick Scottish accent. Originally, director Gore Verbinski wanted Jones to be Dutch, as he is the captain of the "Dutch-man". Nighy however responded, "I don't do Dutch. So I decided on Scottish." Nighy later revealed that the Scottish sitcom Still Game influenced his choice of accent, stating: "I had to find an accent no one else had. Although Alex Norton is Scottish, mine was slightly different. We wanted something that was distinctive and authoritative...I have seen Still Game and I am a fan. The sort of extremity of the accent was inspired in that area."
Character biography
Before the films
Davy Jones, a mortal Scottish pirate and a great sailor, fell in love with the sea goddess, Calypso. She entrusted him with the task of ferrying the souls of those who died at sea to the next world.Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Ch.8. Calypso gave him the Flying Dutchman to accomplish this task. She swore that after ten years, she would meet him and they would spend one day together before he returned to his duties. However, when Jones returned to shore after ten years, Calypso failed to appear. Believing Calypso had betrayed him, a heartbroken and enraged Davy Jones turned the Pirate Brethren against her, saying that if she were removed from the world, they would be able to claim the seas for themselves. They assembled in the First Brethren Court and Jones successfully taught them how to imprison her into her human form.Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Ch.15.
Despite betraying her, Jones still loved Calypso, and in despair and guilt for what he had done, he carved out his own heart and placed it in the "Dead Man's Chest". The Chest was sealed and placed within a larger wooden chest, along with Jones' numerous love letters to Calypso and all other items having to do with her, except his matching musical locket. The chest was then buried on Isla Cruces. Jones kept the chest's key with him at all times, leaving the locket beside the Dutchman's pipe organ. With Calypso gone, Jones abandoned his duties and returned to the Seven Seas. As a result of this, Jones gradually became monstrous, his physical appearance merging with various aquatic fauna. Sailors everywhere would fear him to the death, for Davy Jones had turned fierce and cruel, with an insatiable taste for all things brutal. Jones recruits dying sailors by promising them a reprieve from death in exchange for 100 years of service aboard the Dutchman. During this time, he comes to command the Kraken, a feared mythological sea monster.
In the book series about Jack Sparrow's earlier adventures, Davy Jones shows interest in the Sword of Cortes, also sought by Jack. He is a minor character, but appears in the seventh book as Jack and his crew encounter the Flying Dutchman.
Jones also appears in the prequel book about Jack's first years as a captain. He helps the Brethren Court to identify the traitor among them, who turns out to be Borya Palachnik, the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea.Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom, Ch.8 The Devil in the Deep Blue Sea.
Before the events of the first film, Davy Jones approaches Sparrow with a deal: Jones will raise the Black Pearl back from Davy Jones' Locker, allowing Sparrow to be captain for 13 years if Sparrow agrees to serve on the Dutchman for 100 years. This event, referenced in the films, also appears in the book series.Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom, Ch.19 The Freedom's Price.
Dead Man's Chest
Davy Jones first appears in the second film, Dead Man's Chest, in which he attempts to collect on his bargain with Jack Sparrow, sending Bootstrap Bill to threaten Jack and give him the black spot to attract the Kraken. Previously, Davy Jones had raised the Black Pearl from the sea for Sparrow, in exchange for Sparrow's soul after captaining the Pearl for 13 years. Attempting to get out of the situation, Sparrow argues that he was the captain for only two years before Hector Barbossa committed mutiny. Jones rejects this explanation, explaining that despite the mutiny, Jack still stubbornly gave himself the title "Captain". Sparrow then attempts to escape the deal by providing Will Turner as a substitute for himself. Jack falsely strikes a new deal with Jones; Jack will be spared servitude on the Dutchman if he brings Jones one hundred souls to replace his own within the next three days (in reality he plans to recruit a new crew to help him find the Dead Man's Chest to save Will and break his debt). Jones accepts, removes the black spot from Jack's hand, and retains Will, keeping him as a "good faith payment."
While on the Dutchman, Will challenges Jones at a game of liar's dice. They wager Will's soul for an eternity of service against the key to the Dead Man's Chest. Bootstrap Bill joins the game and purposefully loses to save Will. During the game, Will learns where Jones keeps the key, being his real purpose in the game. The next morning, Jones realizes the key is gone and summons the Kraken to destroy the ship carrying Turner, who actually survives. The Dutchman then sails to Isla Cruces to stop Sparrow from getting the Chest.
Arriving, Jones sends his crew to retrieve the Chest; they return to him with it. The Dutchman then chases after the Black Pearl, but is outrun. Jones summons the Kraken, which drags Jack Sparrow and the Pearl to Davy Jones's Locker. He afterward opens the Chest only to find his heart missing; it having been taken by Jack Sparrow and subsequently stolen by James Norrington, who gives it to Cutler Beckett, the chairman of the East India Trading Company.
At World's End
In the third film At World's End, Jones is under the control of Beckett, under the threat of death. Beckett orders Jones to sink pirate ships, but is infuriated when Jones leaves no survivors; Beckett wants prisoners to interrogate about the Brethren Court. Beckett also orders Jones to kill the Kraken.Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Ch.5 Later, he orders Jones attack the Pirate Lord Sao Feng; Jones subsequently kills Sao and captures Elizabeth Swann, who had been named captain by Sao Feng upon his death.Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Ch.12. When James Norrington dies on board the Dutchman while helping Elizabeth escape, Jones claims Norrington's sword (originally crafted by Will Turner). Jones then attempts mutiny against the EITC. However, Ian Mercer successfully defends the Chest, forcing Jones to continue under Beckett's service.Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Ch.14.
Beckett later summons Jones to his ship, the Endeavour. Jones confronts Will Turner and divulges his past with Calypso while learning of Jack Sparrow's escape from the Locker. The three men then arrive at Shipwreck Cove.
Jones confronts Calypso, locked in the brig of the Black Pearl. The two former lovers discuss Calypso's betrayal and Jones's curse. Calypso temporarily lifts his curse, allowing him to be seen briefly in his original human form. Jones tells her that his heart will always belong to her. Calypso, unaware that Jones betrayed her to the first Brethren Court, says that after her release, she will fully give her love to him.
Jones participates in a parley in which the EITC trades Turner for Sparrow with the latter actually planning to stab the heart.Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Ch.19Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Ch.21 through 24 After Calypso is freed, Will reveals that Jones betrayed her. She escapes, refusing to aid either the pirates or Jones. Her fury creates a monstrous maelstrom. The Dutchman and the Pearl enter it and battle.