Ridley Scott Casts Hugh Jackman in New Treasure Island Movie

A new adaptation of Treasure Island will be made with the irresistible combination of Ridley Scott directing, Hugh Jackman playing Long John Silver, and Jack Thorne, the writer of the cultural phenomenon Adolescence, penning the script. Ridley Scott and Michael Pruss are producing under the Scott Free banner, with Jack Thorne also credited as executive producer. Deadline reports that all the main studios are expected to enter the race for the acquisition and distribution rights.

The one studio opting out is none other than 20th Century Studios, and that has an interesting story behind it. For all of Ridley Scott’s visions, the studio had always been the first option, but since they had already started work on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the studio felt they had no interest in facing off with the same genre film on the same schedule, so they pulled out of the deal, as per Deadline’s report.

What is Ridley Scott’s Treasure Island About?

Treasure Island isn’t just a popular book; it is one of the most enduring commercial books in history. In the 143 years since Robert Louis Stevenson penned it in 1883, more than a hundred million copies have been sold, in over 50 languages.

The story is a straightforward one: Jim Hawkins, a young boy, finds himself in possession of a treasure map; he heads off to dig up the gold, only to find himself hopelessly outclassed by Long John Silver, an anti-hero so morally ambiguous and charismatic that he’s inspired the piracy archetype for more than a hundred years.

The last major Hollywood adaptation was Disney’s 2002 Treasure Planet, which transported the story into a sci-fi setting; according to Deadline, those who are familiar with the package have indicated that this adaptation slightly departs from Stevenson’s source material.

For Ridley Scott, the film is another chance at commercial success following a rocky few years. Napoleon (with a reported budget of up to $200 million via The Number) and Gladiator II (budgeted at over $200 million via The Number) have not been commercially successful given their scale. The Martian was the last film to really pick up awards momentum for Ridley Scott in 2015, and The Last Duel has been the only other since, to varying degrees. Even at 88, Scott is still one of the most productive filmmakers around, with almost eight projects in development, which include Gladiator III, a biopic about the Bee Gees, a World War I movie, and a Wall Street thriller, just to name a few.

On the work front, Hugh Jackman was recently seen in Sheep Detectives.

What do you think of Hugh Jackman in an adventure movie?