Hugh Jackman is no stranger to bringing adaptations to life. From his early stage performances in Beauty and the Beast on stage in his native Australia to the musical epic film Les Misérables and even his portrayal of the Marvel superhero Wolverine in not only the X-Men films but the more recent Deadpool & Wolverine, Jackman has helped bring many iconic characters to life, lifting classic stories and characters into a new medium. Now, he’s poised to do it again, teaming up with filmmaker Ridley Scott to bring a beloved 143-year-oild action-adventure novel to life.
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According to Deadline, Jackman is set to star in a film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island. Jackman is set to play the iconic pirate Long John Silver in the film while Alien and Gladiator director Ridley Scott is set to direct. Adolescence scribe Jack Thorne is writing the script. Additional details, such as studio behind the project, has not yet been revealed though its reported that 20th Century Studios passed on the project because the Disney-owned company, which already has Pirates of the Caribbean, didn’t want to add another pirate project.
Treasure Island Is a Classic Novel Perfect For Screen Adaptation
Treasure Island is one of those classics that never really goes out of fashion and is always prime for a new screen adaptation—and over the years, there have been many. The novel was first published in 1883 and follows a young boy, Jim Hawkins, who discovers a map that leads to a legendary buried treasure. To find said treasure, Jim heads out on a dangerous sea voyage but soon finds himself at odds with pirates who seek to stop him, including the charismatic and infamous pirate Long John Silver. The book has been popular since its original publication and is easily one of the most influential adventure novels to ever be written. That also means there have been numerous adaptations over the years, most notably Disney’s 1950 film, an animated version released by Warner Bros. in 1973, and perhaps the most iconic of them all, 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island. The story has even been given a sci-fi twist with the animated Treasure Planet, and the story has even seen its scope expanded on the small screen with the wildly underrated series Black Sails that functions as a prequel to Treasure Island.
This new film is said to be a new take on the classic tale but even new takes—such as what we saw with Treasure Planet and even Muppets Treasure Island—tend to work well. A bit part of that is the classic nature of the core Treasure Island story. There is something about a young person embarking on a dangerous journey with great reward the prize that is timeless and universal. There’s also just something about pirate stories that are built for cinematic interpretation. Because the core elements of the story are eternal and pirates are just good cinema, Treasure Island is a practically perfect tale to bring to life once again on the big screen—and it will be very interesting to see Jackman’s take on what might be the most famous fictional pirate in literary history.
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