Hugh Jackman will play Long John Silver in Ridley Scott’s new feature adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, from a script by Jack Thorne. It’s Jackman’s second pirate turn after 2015’s Pan, with the project still early and no release date announced.
Long John Silver gets a new face as Hugh Jackman signs on, with Ridley Scott steering the latest take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s high-seas classic. The script comes from Jack Thorne, setting the stage for Jackman’s second bout with piracy after his turn as Blackbeard in 2015’s Pan. Treasure Island has shaped the very image of swashbucklers for generations, and this version joins a lineage that runs from Victor Fleming’s 1934 film to Disney’s spacefaring Treasure Planet. No release date yet, but the voyage is charted.
A new voyage for Hugh Jackman
Some roles feel destined, and this one arrives with a salty breeze. Hugh Jackman is circling the part of the legendary pirate Long John Silver in a fresh take on Treasure Island, the Robert Louis Stevenson classic. The film is set to be directed by Ridley Scott, with a screenplay from Jack Thorne. According to Deadline, the project is moving forward, and curiosity is already cresting like a rising tide.
From Wolverine to Blackbeard to Long John Silver
Jackman’s range is part of the fun. Many still picture him, claws out, as Wolverine in the “X-Men” films. He has boarded a pirate ship before, playing Blackbeard in 2015’s Pan, leaning into grand, swaggering menace. This new turn feels like a natural progression, pairing his charisma with a character built on charm, duplicity, and the uneasy warmth of a reluctant mentor.
The enduring legacy of Treasure Island
Stevenson’s adventure, first published in 1883, helped draw the map for how we picture pirates. The novel has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, and for good reason. Its tale of Jim Hawkins, a boy who stumbles into a perilous hunt for buried gold, remains lean, tense, and generous with twists. Silver, ever-smiling and calculating, still steals scenes from the page.
Memorable adaptations of the classic tale
The story has inspired generations of filmmakers. Early landmarks include Victor Fleming’s 1934 film and Disney’s 1950 live-action adaptation, both shaping the swashbuckling template. A 1990 TV version recruited Charlton Heston and a young Christian Bale, while Disney’s animated riff, Treasure Planet, blasted the myth into space. Each version reimagined the compass points, which begs the question: where will Scott plant the flag?
What to expect from Scott’s adaptation
Ridley Scott tends to favor big worlds with sharp edges. That sensibility suits the novel’s rough tides and moral gray zones. Jack Thorne, whose credits include His Dark Materials, knows how to thread character with momentum. A US release date has not been announced, but the ingredients suggest a brisk, character-first adventure with the grit of the sea still clinging to every frame.