After “The Dog Stars,” set to be released this month, Ridley Scott’s top priority seems to be “Treasure Island,” starring Hugh Jackman and set up at Sony Pictures. This film is coming sooner than we think.
As previously reported, Jackman is attached to play the pirate Blackbeard. Jack Thorne, who is red-hot these days thanks to his work on the acclaimed Netflix series “Adolescence” and the upcoming “Lord of the Flies,” wrote the screenplay.
According to Scott, speaking with Collider, Thorne has brought in “Adolescence” star Owen Cooper in a major role for “Treasure Island.” Furthermore, Hugh Grant is also in talks to star in the film. Cooper will likely play young Jim Hawkins. There are no details about Grant’s role, but it could be Long John Silver.
Furthermore, Scott confirms that the film will begin production on November 1. I presume filming will take place in the Canary Islands, which is where Scott has been location scouting over the last few days.
The story of “Treasure Island,” based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 adventure novel, follows young Jim Hawkins as he discovers a treasure map and embarks on a dangerous sea voyage that becomes a deadly contest of loyalty and deception with Long John Silver. Although Blackbeard does not appear in Stevenson’s original novel, Scott’s adaptation appears to be incorporating the legendary pirate into the story.
Will yet another iteration of “Treasure Island” be welcomed by the masses? Multiple studios reportedly had the opportunity to bid on the project, and the budget is unlikely to be minuscule. We’ll see how it goes.
Speaking of budgets, Scott’s ‘Dog Stars,’ which is currently tracking in the high single digits, is apparently $110M.. That film follows his previous efforts, “Napoleon” and “Gladiator II,” each of which carried price tags north of $200M and failed to make a significant impact. Scott also seems to have lost favor with critics, as his last true Oscar contender was “The Martian,” released nearly 11 years ago—although 2021’s “The Last Duel” remains an underrated gem in his filmography.
The man doesn't stop. James Gunn has confirmed he's already hard at work writing his next film, even as ‘Man of Tomorrow’ makes its way toward theaters next summer.