Master And Commander Reboot in Development

Captain Jack Aubrey may sail the high seas once again as a new report reveals 20th Century is [...]

By Spencer Perry

Captain Jack Aubrey may sail the high seas once again as a new report reveals 20th Century is developing a new version of Master and Commander, rebooting the property that started and ended with the 2004 film. Deadline brings word that A Monster Calls writer Patrick Ness has been tapped to pen the script which will reportedly be based on the first book in the "Aubrey–Maturin series" series by Patrick O'Brian. The first book/new film would follow the Jack Aubrey character as a young man and explore "how his friendship with his naval surgeon, Stephen Maturin begins," according to the trade.

Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany played the parts of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin in the original film which, despite being a box office disappointment, was well received critically and gained 10 Oscar nominations. In addition to Best Picture, Mast and Commander would also gain Oscar nods for filmmaker Peter Weir for Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, and more. It would only win two Oscars during the ceremony, Best Cinematography for Russell Boyd and Best Sound Editing for Richard King, as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King would sweep the ceremony that same year.

The new film will seemingly recast the roles of Aubrey and Maturin for the parts since it will focus on the young versions of the cast, but it's unclear if the reboot will have any ties to the 2004 film or be a total reboot of the property. There are 21 books in the entire series, so if this new film were to become a success it could mark a new franchise for the studio.

Russell Crowe has previously been open about his interest in returning to the part for a new film, tweeting in December of 2010: "If you want a Master and Commander sequel I suggest you e-mail Tom Rothman at Fox and let him know your thoughts." The actor would also go on to defend the movie from a troll in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic who prescribed the film to anyone that needed a sleep-aid.

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