The 2020 pandemic had a devastating effect on the events industry around the world. With a shutdown of all non-essential services for a large part of the year in the UK including two full lockdowns, the creative industries were shuttered for a large part of the year. From cinemas to theatres to music festivals all being either closed or cancelled, 2020 forced us into our homes and meant that a huge percentage of planned events for that year simply couldn't take place.
This was the case for Secret Cinema, who couldn't open any new immersive shows following the closure of Secret Cinema Presents Stranger Things on 1st March 2020. However, it appears they were well underway with their next project when the restrictions began.
Earlier this week a string of images for a cancelled Secret Cinema project - codenamed Project Outlaw, appeared online and gave us our first look at what could have been. For some time, Pirates of the Caribbean has been a series that fans of the immersive experience company have been desperate to come to life.
The show, titled 'Pirates of the Caribbean - The Spirit of the Sea' was a prequel to the film series, and would have seen guests join one of six factions in their journey to Tortuga.
Poster via Parlour
Concept Art via Parlour
With Tom Maller (Peaky Blinders: The Rise, Secret Cinema Casino Royale) and Miguel Hernando Torres Umba (Secret Cinema Dirty Dancing, Moulin Rogue) credited as Creative Directors, this would have been the first collaboration between Disney and Secret Cinema following an announcement in 2020 via Hollywood Reporter that the two companies had signed a multi-title agreement.
Guardians of the Galaxy would instead be the first Disney/Secret Cinema project, which opened in 2022.
Concept Art via Parlour
The images made available online include concept art of the experience (complete with renderings of a prison, pirate ship interior and a cave), merchandise options including notebooks and t-shirts, and two variations of a poster for the event designed by Fraser Gillespie.
To see the full selection of work for this cancelled show, please visit parlour.studio.
Comments