(Though The Rum Diary was released after Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, it was shot and completed before.) 12. He requested that portions of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides be shot on the island based on his positive experiences shooting there on The Rum Diary. DEPP LOVED PUERTO RICO SO MUCH HE WENT BACK AGAIN WITH ANOTHER BIGGER MOVIE The carnival scene, which included over 500 extras, had to be shot twice. …SO THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH MOTHER NATUREĭespite the beautiful tropical setting, uncharacteristically bad weather delayed many shooting days throughout production. The film shot entirely on location in Puerto Rico. In fact, it was supposed to be del Toro’s directorial debut before Robinson was ultimately chosen. At points throughout the process Nick Nolte, Josh Hartnett, and Benicio del Toro were all attached to star alongside Depp.

The movie finally got made after seven years in development. The director was sober for six-and-a-half years before he began drinking again while writing the script for the movie. THE MOVIE CAUSED ROBINSON TO BREAK HIS SOBRIETY THE DIRECTOR CAME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO MAKE THE FILMīruce Robinson, perhaps most well known for his 1987 semi-autobiographical film Withnail and I, hadn’t directed a film in 19 years before Depp convinced him to direct The Rum Diary. The Rum Diary grossed over $13 million, while Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas made over $10 million and Where the Buffalo Roam made over $6 million. IT’S THE HIGHEST GROSSING MOVIE ADAPTATION OF A THOMPSON WORK IT’S THE THIRD TIME A VERSION OF THOMPSON HAS APPEARED IN A FILMīill Murray played a version of Thompson in the 1980 film Where the Buffalo Roam, which wasn’t specifically based on any of Thompson’s books. He played Thompson’s persona Raoul Duke in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

IT’S THE SECOND TIME JOHNNY DEPP PLAYS A VERSION OF HUNTER THOMPSON Many details-including Thompson’s position at the San Juan Star-were true. THE BOOK AND MOVIE WERE SEMI-AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL (STRESS THE “SEMI”)

Thompson’s first novel, entitled Prince Jellyfish, still remains unpublished. The book wasn’t officially published until 1998. THOMPSON’S SECOND NOVELĪ then 22-year-old Thompson wrote The Rum Diary in 1959, but it was abandoned until Johnny Depp found it among Thompson’s papers decades later. Grab a bottle-or more-of your favorite booze and head down to the tropics with Hunter Thompson and Johnny Depp as we look at a few facts you may not have known about The Rum Diary.

The rum diary author