The fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie will be based on fantasy author TIM POWERS' 1987 novel about a group of buccaneers searching for the fabled fountain of youth.
Powers was ordered to keep quiet about the title of the Johnny Depp project after signing a deal to turn his book, On Stranger Tides, into the latest Pirates adventure - but recently confessed all after the actor and former Disney boss DICk Cook announced the movie at last month's (Sep09) D23 Expo in California.
He tells the Los Angeles Times newspaper, "About a week ago, my agent wrote and said, 'You're now able to say that in fact Disney did option the book.' That happened a while ago.
"I'm thrilled. I think it's great."
Powers' story follows the exploits of puppeteer's son Jack 'Shandy' Chandagnac, who sets sail for Jamaica to seek out an uncle who stole his family fortune and gets captured by pirates and becomes a reluctant member of infamous buccaneer Blackbeard's crew.