Hugh Jackman & Ridley Scott's 'Treasure Island' Package in Talks at Sony Pictures

Sony Pictures is in negotiations to acquire a new film adaptation of “Treasure Island” with Ridley Scott attached to direct, according to Deadline.

Hugh Jackman is on board to star as the pirate Blackbeard. The project is based on a script by Jack Thorne, adapting the classic Robert Louis Stevenson adventure novel.

What is the project’s status?

The negotiations follow the film package being shopped to studios last month. Sources tell Deadline that Sony was enthusiastic about the project from the start. The studio had no comment on the talks.

Why did another studio pass on it?

However, the Disney-owned division passed. The decision was reportedly not due to a lack of interest in working with Scott, but because Disney’s live-action unit prioritizes its own Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and did not want a competing pirate project.

Scott’s existing relationship with Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman, who backed several of the director’s previous films, is seen as a key factor in the current negotiations. The film would be produced by Scott and Michael Pruss through the Scott Free banner.

The novel, published in 1883, has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Thorne’s adaptation is described as a new take on the story of a young boy who finds a treasure map and embarks on a perilous sea voyage, ultimately facing off against the charismatic pirate Long John Silver.