Ridley Scott Plans ‘Treasure Island’ Remake, WWI Drama and Western After ‘The Dog Stars’

There’s an in-depth Empire Magazine interview with Ridley Scott, only available to subscribers. This is in connection with the release of “The Dog Stars,” his 38th film, set for release in August.

First off, his Bee Gees biopic is probably shelved. Rather, Scott mentions three projects that are set as his next three films (via The Ridley Scott Archives).

Scott’s top priority seems to be “Treasure Island,” with Hugh Jackman, which he wants to shoot first but still needs to find a studio willing to finance it. Of course, Scott then takes aim at earlier “Treasure Island” adaptations and says his will be the definitive version.

The original Treasure Island films, with greatest, deepest respect, were terrible, and were always made for kids, with a lot of ‘arrghh me hearties’ and eating the fucking scenery. This is not going to be like that. It’s a much subtler version.

If “Treasure Island” doesn’t come to pass — and it’s hard to see a studio immediately stepping in to finance it — then Ridley Scott has a backup plan: a WWI epic he originally hoped to squeeze in this year titled “Covenant With Death,” based on John Harris’ acclaimed novel about the Sheffield City Regiment’s harrowing fight at the Battle of the Somme.

Scott had previously mentioned to The Guardian that a war film would be his next project during an interview in August 2025. That plan clearly slipped — possibly due to financing challenges once again.

Finally, the third project is a western titled “Freewalkers,” planned to be shot after both “Treasure Island” and “Covenant With Death.”

"Freewalkers" is a "f***ing savage" Western based on an unproduced screenplay by "a very good author" who passed away during the Covid pandemic. [It's about] the threat to the indigenous Cheyenne. “There are no towns, there’s only the Great Plains where it’s minus 40 degrees and the cold will kill you. It’s fantastic.

So there you have it: Ridley Scott, who turns 89 in November, plans to keep making films well into his 90s, but now faces the practical hurdle of securing studios willing to finance these large, expensive productions.

His last film was 2024’s “Gladiator II,” which underwhelmed commercially and critically in some quarters, and if “The Dog Stars” follows a similar trajectory, it could further complicate his ability to continue mounting these kinds of high-budget epics.