Late last month, "On Stranger Tides" author Tim Powers confirmed that Disney does indeed plan to use elements of his book for the forthcoming "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." He didn't have much more to say about it at the time, but it was the confirmation fans had been speculating about since Disney dropped the bombshell at their D23 Expo that a fourth "Pirates" movie was incoming.

Now, Powers is apparently free -- or at least more free -- to discuss Disney's ownership of the rights to his book, published in 1988. "About a week ago my agent wrote and said, 'You're now able to say that in fact Disney did option the book,'" Powers told the Los Angeles Times in an interview. "That happened a while ago, it'll be three years in April." Three years means that Disney picked up the rights just as "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" was sailing into theaters. Read more...