There are reports that Disney is considering whether to cut all scenes featuring Keith Richards from the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean 4 movie following some pro-drug comments Keith made in a recent biography. If this is true, it’s incredibly short-sighted of Disney. Keith was in the third installment and was supposed to reprise his role as Depp’s character’s father, Captain Teague. Disney doesn’t need to take a stand over this, and it will probably cost them a bundle to re-edit the movie and scrap everything they’ve filmed with Richards. It doesn’t sound like a done deal, though. Other outlets are picking up this story and claiming that Disney has already made this decision. I was able to source the story to the Drudge Report, and they make it sound much more tentative than that.
DISNEY executives are sweating it out as salty details of an upcoming book written by rocker/actor Keith Richards leak and splash.
The Rolling Stones guitarist has reprised his role as Captain Teague in the next installment of DISNEY’S ‘PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN’ franchise.
But now executives fear the rocker’s shocking admissions in his new book, LIFE, may cause a firestorm and ignite a backlash around the family-friendly Magic Kingdom.
Among the concerns, Richards appears to detail how to safely get stoned: Use ‘high-quality drugs’ in moderation!
Richard writes: “It’s not only the high quality of drugs I had that I attribute my survival to. I was very meticulous about how much I took. I’d never put more in to get a little higher. That’s where most people f**k up on drugs.”
One well-placed entertainment source explains that Snow White may end up dumping her Dopey!
“They very well could end up cutting Keith out of the new movie over this,” claims the insider.
[From The Drudge Report]
I can buy that Disney is freaking out over Keith saying it’s possible to do drugs in moderation. That’s a very pro-drug message that goes against everything they stand for. They know what they’re getting into with Keith, and I hope that they’re not short-sighted enough to cut his scenes due to this book. The guy has always been the beef-jerky looking poster boy for surviving drug abuse.
Johnny and Keith are shown out in London on 9/15/10. Credit: Will Alexander/WENN.com
I gained a lot of respect for Keith in his interview with 60 minutes on Sunday. Keith is Keith and always has been. I don’t want him as a public role model for my kids but I think he is a pretty good private person. I do respect Disney for at least considering Keith’s image but I don’t think young people will connect his role with his life. How many “Stoners” go to Disney movies?
What!?! Keith Richards did/does drugs! Well, you could of knocked me over with a feather! Just can’t believe this confession.
c’mon!!! Duh! Raise your hand if you DIDNT know Keith Richards did and does drugs.
Geez..
I don’t know how I feel about this. First, let me say that I’ve loved the Stones forever, and saw them play at Boston Garden in 1966 or ’67, with Patty La Belle and the Bluebells opening for them.
But, I do think that the Disney brand represents something wholesome to families. Of course, they’ve coarsened their product over the years. But Richards brings something very special to the role. Yet, his strength as a character is what creates a vast gray area in my mind. I’m feeling fairly muddled.
Seriously, Keith Richards is a walking advert for why you shouldn’t do drugs.
That would be the stupidest thing they could do… idiots
Did Disney not know about Keith Richards drug use in the past? It is not as if it was some big secret
It’s the Drudge Report. I’m pretty sure Disney has better business sense.
o boy this is ridicule… disney is so hypocrite. Everyone knows about Richards doing drugs for the last like 50 years, i mean look at that guy.
and kids do not care for those stories, they care for pirates of the caribbian.
i mean jonny depp was a severe drug addict in the late 80is right? does disney want to cut him too?
Disney is no longer a family brand. It’s a massive conglomerate. The only thing wholesome about it was its cartoons, pre Eisner. Ask Britney Spears, Christina Aguliera, Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens and Miley Cyrus how “family oriented” they are. There’s a disturbing trend of the youth that comes out of the disney machine being damaged.
If he’s not doing drugs in the move then what’s the problem?
Also isn’t Depp a pothead? I always assumed that was what would make Depp and I BFFs. We’d sit down and smoke a J, maybe talk about pirates but not necessarily.
The kids going to this movie won’t know who he is, and if they do, I’m pretty sure they don’t idolise him for his drug use.
Also, it didn’t sound to me like he was advocating for drug use. Out of that one quote, I got that the only reason he didn’t die from drug use like so many other celebrities was that he did it occassionally, didn’t use crap laced with other things, and had boundaries set out.
They will be re-casting his part to a FRYING PAN WITH A FRIED EGG. At the very beginning, there will be a Goofy PSA about KIdsth, don’t do drugsth!
What’s going on with all those scratches on Johnny Depp’s face?
Um, the world and it’s dog know about Keef’s love affair with drugs and that he isn’t one of those “i did drugs, it was awful, they are evil” types. If they were so worried about their rep the wouldn’t have had him in the films at all.
What parent would be letting their child read Keith Richard’s autobiography? Disney hasn’t stopped showing reruns of LiLo’s movies & kids are more like to know her than some 60+ rock star. Sad, but true.
oh yea, that disney is sooo pure; don’t they represent hoha Montana lap dancing and gyrating around ? gimme a break. i’ve loved the stones since the beginning and EVERYONEEEEEEEEEEEEE knew KR did drugs. no big surprise. i agree that the age group most likely to view the film will say ” Keith who?” isn’t that the dad in the film?
Maritza I was thinking the same thing… I found another pic of him and the X looks like a real scar, I think the same for all. Going to look for a better pic.. may be left overs from playing Edward..lol
I didn’t realize so many kids were going to read his book. LOL! Even if they do, it’s a little late to worry about his stance on drugs now. It’s not like it’s a well guarded secret. The man is still living but he has already taken so many drugs he won’t need to be embalmed. I can’t believe Disney would cut scenes as money is all they care about now.
I believe his autobiography is required reading in grade 6.
Anyone that is shocked that Keith Richards still does drugs are either unbearably niave or in denial.
Keith is what he is. Period. The thing is: he LOOKS and PLAYS the part in the Pirates films SPOT ON!!! He jazzes the whole thing up. Let him be.
there is a generation gap and a lot of kids under the age of 15 really don’t have a clue who Richards is. They will not associate him with drug use unless it’s pointed out to them at this time.
It’s like the Katy Perry on Seasame Street thing. The kids aren’t sexualizing her, it’s adults who are then then the kids are told it’s wrong so they wonder why. They wouldn’t have had a problem if the adults didn’t throw tempertantrums.
Disney gets all high and mighty when it comes to drugs, but thinks nothing of parading teenage girls around in next to nothing.
Double-standard, or is it just me?
It’s common nothing that Depp based his character on Richards, which is why Keith got the role of Daddy. NOW Disney has a problem with it?
Hypocrites.
So what disney is actually saying is…we had to have known he did drugs because umm..hello…and SURELY we did a little digging on him before we hired him..and as long as no one MENTIONS drugs..its ok…but since its talked about whoa..we have problem..wtf? how stupid whatever…the only thing that would keep me watching this over done storyline is the chance to see Keith and Depp together other than that im over it.
Excuse me, what did Disney expect? That thanks to their largesse and generosity in allowing Keith to appear briefly in a couple of their movies, Keith who did it only as a FAVOR to Johnny Depp who begged him to take the role after Depp admitted that Richards was his inspiration for the the character of Sparrow, that he would suddenly turn his back on all those previos decades as a rock star? Oh, but it was okay to glorify prostitution in ‘Pretty Woman’.
As Bill Nighy said in ‘Love Actually’ (and who played Davy Jones in the POTC franchise), “Kids, don’t buy drugs. Become a rock star and they’ll give’em to you for free!” Rock on Keef.
If they dont’t want a rockstar with a crack past they could hire Julie Andrews not Keith Richards. Keith Richards is a living legend, he doesn’t need Disney, if they cut they’re only hypocrite as someone has just said before.
That’s the problem with honesty. Lots of other Disney personelle have done lots of drugs, but when asked they just say ‘no’.
Keith and Charlie are my favourite Stones. I’ve read and seen interviews with Keith and he has a lot of integrity. Loves the fans and the music. On his website he records his answers to fans questions, he’s candid, funny all of that.
I hope they don’t cut his parts…that is the main thing I have been looking forward to seeing in the upcoming movie…HIM! They are FOOLS if they cut his parts…especially after building up this movie so much, because of Keith!
Disney would have to do a whole lot of cleaning to get rid of everyone in their movies that families may find undesirable:
Depp, Britney, Christina, Miley…..
to begin with.
Hahaha! God, what a memory! That’s how he remembers it huh? “Quality” and “just enough”. This is the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time. ROFL!!!
I wonder if the story is even true. Every adult knows Keith Richards drug history. The idea that he is in the 3rd installment and magically out of the 4th because he has a bio out is absurd. They’re lucky to have him in the role.
This is a ridiculous story. This is just a silly tabloid story (originating from The Sun. Duh!) Disney has never had any plans to cut Keith from the film. Can you imagine the trouble from their star, if they even thought about it?? People who are bad mouthing Disney about this, should at least wait until information comes from a credible sourace. The Sun and Drudge??? Lord.
This is hilarious considering I’ve always assumed Johnny was playing his character “drunk”. I mean I think he said he based his character on Richards, and he talks kind of like he is sloshed. Come on Disney, quit being pricks. Kids won’t run out to find out about Keith Richards life after they see it. They will laugh and go home and talk about a great movie they saw.
I’m so tired of the morality police. I find it hypocritical that people in their own private lives can do terrible, heinous things, and then publicly spout off about what their friends, neighbors or celebs are doing, and say that it is wrong because they don’t agree with what other people are doing. Glass houses anyone?
Keef. Drugs. Really? I mean, really? Disney realized this all of a sudden? Hypocrites.
His hard life is what makes him such a terrific pirate!!!! What the hell is this coming from????
that’s it. they pull richards – i’m not going.
i really like depp AND richards and quite honestly, i’ve about had it with all this splinter factions getting their panties in a wad over real fucking life events.
come on folks – do we really need to be “protected” in this fashion?
i think not. (usually)
Disney hasn’t represented “wholesome” for a long, long time now – in a land in a castle far away! The only (recent) time Disney has ever been remotely family-oriented is its association with Pixar – because it’s Pixar who now tell real stories about characters we come to care about; Disney just makes money by manufacturing starlets.
Calm down guys.Disney denied these rumors and said Keef is still in !
They’ll cut him out of a movie yet approve of Miley Cyrus? WTF?
Right, and Miley is a better role model.
did not he claim to have beaten hep c if so
his liver should be donated to science when he is gone
Wow – let’s see a pirate (Sparrow) running around looking, acting, or behaving loaded or stoned, asking where is there more rum through three movies. Disney wants to cut a guy that eveyone knows was embalmed 40 years ago and that is why he is still alive. Nice – maybe they should re-think the sparrow role all together as well –
It is a PIRATE movie –
Are you kidding? Keith’s a great inspiration for kids. When I was little, my parents would always point to Keith Richards to remind me of why I shouldn’t do drugs. And then I never did!