Hugh Jackman Officially Confirms Casting in Ridley Scott’s Historical Epic Remake

Last week, we learned that Hugh Jackman will be playing iconic pirate Long John Silver in a new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 book Treasure Island, about a young boy named Jim Hawkins who discovers a map leading to a notorious pirate’s hidden treasure. This new version will be directed by Ridley Scott, who has plenty of experience directing period pieces; Gladiator (2000), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), and Napoleon (2023) are just a few examples.

Speaking to DiscussingFilm, Jackman confirmed that he is indeed playing the one-legged Silver:

I’ve never read Treasure Island. I’ve never seen Treasure Island. So I’ve heard of Long John Silver, but I had no idea. It is a slight reimagining, I’m told. But I just read this script, and it was sent to me by Ridley Scott. And I was like, ‘Well, I’m really interested in that.’ Jack Thorne wrote this amazing script, so fingers crossed we get it up and get it going. Let’s see if someone will make it.

Recently, Jackman has been portraying one iconic literary character after another. This weekend, you can see him in A24’s The Death of Robin Hood, a grimly effective new movie about the legendary outlaw. That will have to hold you for a while, because it doesn’t sound like Ridley Scott’s version of Treasure Island is coming out anytime soon.

Treasure Island has been adapted for the screen many, many times, starting all the way back in 1918 with a silent film version starring 13-year-old actress Violet Radcliffe as Long John Silver. In 1950, Disney released Treasure Island as its first-ever live-action film, with Robert Newton as Silver. Over the years, the character has been played by actors like Orson Welles, Charlton Heston, Tim Curry, Brian Blessed, and many more. Hugh Jackman may not know much about Treasure Island, but he’ll have his work cut out for him measuring up to everyone who came before him.

Jackman mentions that Ridley Scott’s version is “a slight reimagining.” That isn’t uncommon, either. In 2002, Disney reimagined the story as an animated sci-fi film called Treasure Planet. Disney returned to that well in 2024 with Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which reworks the story to fit into the galaxy far, far away. Jude Law stars as pirate captain Jod Na Nawood, who’s essentially the Long John Silver analogue. The Starz show Black Sails is a prequel to Treasure Island. It may be one of the most frequently adapted and reimagined books in history, so Ridley Scott also has his work cut out for him.

Helping him out is writer Jack Thorne, whose many credits include Skins, His Dark Materials, and Adolescence. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for news of any further developments.