A new Treasure Island movie is about to set sail.
According to Deadline, Ridley Scott is on board to direct an adaptation of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel with Hugh Jackman attached to play the iconic pirate Long John Silver.
Jack Thorne (Adolescence) wrote the script for the new adaptation. Scott and Michael Pruss are producing for Scott Free, with Thorne also attached as an executive producer.
20th Century Studios, Scott’s go-to studio, reportedly declined the chance to distribute Treasure Island, reportedly because Disney still plans on making Pirates of the Caribbean 6 and didn’t want a competing pirates project.
So, the package is instead hitting the market today, with the expectation being that every other major studio will want to snag it.
For the unfamiliar, Treasure Island is about a young boy who uncovers the map to a legendary buried treasure and embarks on a perilous sea voyage to claim a hidden fortune, only to find himself locked in a deadly battle of wits with the charismatic and treacherous pirate, Long John Silver.
Since its publication in 1883, Treasure Island has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. The novel has also been adapted to film multiple times, including three versions from Disney: Treasure Island (1950), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), and Treasure Planet (2002).
Universal was developing its own Treasure Island movie back in 2019, with Dean Deblois set to direct a script by Evan Spiliotopoulos. However, seven years later, that project looks to be dead in the water.
We’ll keep you posted as this project unfolds.
Are you excited for a new Treasure Island, especially one directed by Ridley Scott?
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