Fan CastingThe Death of Blackbeard

The Death of Blackbeard is a 2022 American history swashbuckler action film written, co-produced and directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Gore Verbinski and edited by James Wan and Chris Lebenzon, and is based on Thatch's final years, from his early pirate days to his retirement and death. The film stars Joe Manganiello as the eponymous character, alongside Kate Mara, Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Billy Zane, Mila Kunis, and Liam Hemsworth. It is narrated by Charles Vane (Damon) as he tells the story of what happened to his friend, Thatch (Manganiello) and how the Queen Anne's Revenge sank. The Death of Blackbeard is one of the most expensive films ever made with a cost of over $400 million, and was released on December 29th 2022. The film received critical acclaim upon release, with praise for Manganiello's performance, Burton's direction, historical accuracy, tone, the emotional weight of its story, screenplay, visual style, score, and the realistic action sequences. It also became a streaming hit for HBO Max, grossing $267 against a $196 million budget. At 96% of rotten tomatoes, it is often regarded as Burton's masterpiece and one of the greatest films of all time, especially in the history genre, and was cited as the best film in the 2020s until the release of Five Nights at Freddy's: The Nightmare Ends in 2024.