Director Ridley Scott is set to helm a new film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island, with Hugh Jackman attached to star as the legendary pirate Long John Silver, according to Deadline. The announcement marks a significant pairing of two major Hollywood figures on a project that is now being shopped to studios.
Jack Thorne, the Emmy-winning writer behind the Netflix limited series Adolescence, penned the script for the adaptation. Thorne won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the 77th Emmy Awards in September 2025, alongside co-creator Stephen Graham. Beyond his Adolescence work, Thorne has established himself as a prolific screenwriter and playwright with multiple Emmy nominations and wins to his credit.
Scott will direct and produce the film alongside Michael Pruss through Scott Free Productions, the filmmaker’s production company. Thorne will also serve as executive producer on the project. The package is currently being marketed to major studios, with no studio yet attached to the film.
This is not Jackman’s first venture into pirate territory. In 2015, he portrayed the villainous pirate Blackbeard in Joe Wright’s Peter Pan origin film, a fictionalized version of the historical figure. That role saw Jackman transform into the fearsome pirate leader who kidnaps children from London to work as slaves in mines, showcasing his range in the swashbuckling genre.
The Treasure Island novel, published in 1883, has been adapted numerous times for film and television, most recently as a television series for MGM+ and Paramount+ UK in March 2026, which featured David Oyelowo in the role of Long John Silver. Scott’s film adaptation represents a fresh take on the enduring adventure story, one that comes as the legendary filmmaker continues an ambitious slate of projects despite his advanced age.
Scott’s career-long interest in bringing a pirate film to the screen aligns with his stated ambitions to work across multiple genres. The filmmaker has long expressed a desire to direct a pirate movie, a genre he has not yet fully explored in his extensive filmography that includes Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, and Thelma & Louise.
Sources
- Deadline — Confirmed announcement of Ridley Scott directing Hugh Jackman in Treasure Island, Jack Thorne as screenwriter and executive producer, Scott and Michael Pruss producing via Scott Free.
- Variety — Reported Hugh Jackman cast as Long John Silver, Ridley Scott directing, Jack Thorne writing, production details.
- Wikipedia — Confirmed June 2026 announcement of Scott directing Treasure Island adaptation with Hugh Jackman as Long John Silver, written by Jack Thorne.
- Television Academy — Confirmed Jack Thorne won Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Adolescence at 77th Emmy Awards, September 2025.
- IMDb — Confirmed Jack Thorne has 2 Primetime Emmy wins.
- Pan (2015 film) Wikipedia — Confirmed Hugh Jackman played Blackbeard in 2015 Peter Pan film.
- Variety (2013) — Confirmed Hugh Jackman cast as pirate Blackbeard in Pan.
