Ridley Scott Casts Hugh Jackman as Long John Silver

Ridley Scott is directing a new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, with Hugh Jackman set to play the pirate Long John Silver. Jack Thorne will write the screenplay and serve as an executive producer, and the package of Scott, Jackman and Thorne will be shopped to various studios.

Treasure Island was published in book form in 1883 after being serialized. The story of young Jim Hawkins and the ship’s cook, Long John Silver, introduced many pirate conventions — tropical islands, maps marked with an X, and parrots on shoulders — that have shaped how pirates are depicted in media.

The tale has been adapted many times on screen, including three popular Walt Disney versions: the studio’s first live-action film, 1950’s Treasure Island; 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island, with Tim Curry as Long John Silver; and 2002’s Treasure Planet, a sci‑fi spin.

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