Ridley Scott Eyes Adolescence Star for Treasure Island

Ridley Scott is back in a big way. One week from now The Dog Stars lands in cinemas and IMAX, and already the director is lining up his next voyage.

The Dog Stars marks Scott's first science-fiction film in nearly a decade — his last directorial trip into space horror was 2017's Alien: Covenant — and the new release comes with a high-profile ensemble: Josh Brolin, Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce and Benedict Wong among them. Short sentences. Big names.

But while critics and audiences start to unpack The Dog Stars, Scott used the film's London press junket to drop a morsel that has the industry buzzing. He confirmed he's actively casting his adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, a project scripted by Jack Thorne, whose writing credits include Adolescence, Lord of the Flies and Enola Holmes 3. An old-school adventure, reimagined by contemporary hands.

Hugh Jackman was already attached to play the legendary Long John Silver — a casting choice that hints at both charm and menace. Then Scott added something that narrowed the focus: he wants the young Jim Hawkins to be played by the Emmy-winning Owen Cooper, the breakout from the series Adolescence. "Yes, I'm casting it right now," Scott told Collider's Steve Weintraub. "Yes, with Hugh Jackman. I hope to have Hugh Grant and that young boy from Adolescence too." Plain and decisive. No hedging.

There's a method to this mix of names. Jackman brings star power and swagger. Cooper supplies that vulnerable, sharp-edged youth the story needs. Hugh Grant — if he signs on — would add an unpredictable, graceful tension. Scott seems to be building a film that balances spectacle with intimate performance, the way his best work does.

Production is not some distant rumor. Scott confirmed he'll start filming on November 1. That's less than a season away. Translation: casting will accelerate, and announcements will follow. The director who swung between epic historical canvases like Napoleon and Gladiator II is now steering toward high-seas swashbuckling. A remake? A fresh take? Likely both.

Jack Thorne's involvement signals a modernizing influence. Thorne can bend genre; he rewrites the rules without apologizing. His script will determine whether Treasure Island becomes a faithful period yarn, a retooled coming-of-age epic, or a hybrid that pulls from the best of both.

Why should moviegoers care? Because Scott has a knack for turning familiar stories into something visceral and new. He understands scale. He understands character. And when he says, "I'm casting it right now," it feels less like promotional boilerplate and more like a director sharpening his blade.

Keep an eye on The Dog Stars reviews this week — and then on the casting notices that should follow. If Scott assembles the roster he hinted at, Treasure Island could be the next big event on the studio calendar and a rare chance to see a classic adventure remade with modern teeth and old-fashioned heart.