Hugh Jackman’s Next Big Role Is A Legendary Pirate — And Ridley Scott Is Directing
Hugh Jackman keeps finding unexpected ways to reinvent himself.
Just as audiences prepare to see him in The Death of Robin Hood, the actor has already lined up another iconic literary character. Jackman is set to star as the legendary pirate Long John Silver in a new adaptation of Treasure Island, with Ridley Scott attached to direct and acclaimed writer Jack Thorne handling the screenplay.
Ridley Scott Is Heading Back To Adventure Storytelling
Scott has spent decades moving between genres, from science fiction and historical epics to crime dramas and thrillers. Now he’s turning his attention to one of the most famous adventure novels ever written.
Originally published in 1883 by Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island helped define the modern pirate story. The novel introduced Long John Silver, a character who remains one of literature’s most recognizable pirates more than a century later.
The role feels like a natural fit for Jackman. He has played heroes, antiheroes, and villains throughout his career, but Long John Silver offers something different. Charming. Dangerous. Manipulative. Sometimes surprisingly sympathetic.
One reason the project is generating buzz is the talent behind it. Jack Thorne, whose recent work has earned widespread acclaim, is writing the screenplay while Ridley Scott oversees the adaptation. Scott will also produce alongside his Scott Free banner.
That combination suggests the film could aim for something larger than a traditional family adventure. Ridley Scott rarely approaches material in a straightforward way. Even familiar stories tend to become more ambitious, darker, or emotionally layered under his direction.
Pirates Might Be Coming Back
It’s interesting timing. Hollywood has spent years trying to find the next major adventure franchise while pirate films have largely disappeared from theaters. Outside of Pirates of the Caribbean, very few large-scale pirate stories have broken through in recent years.
Treasure Island already comes with built-in recognition. Add Hugh Jackman and Ridley Scott, and suddenly the project feels like one of the more intriguing literary adaptations currently in development.
Whether it becomes a blockbuster or something more character-driven remains to be seen. But seeing Wolverine become Long John Silver wasn’t on many people’s 2026 bingo cards. And yet here we are.
