Ridley Scott's New Adaptation Of 143-Year-Old Adventure Classic Gets Filming Date & New Casting Details

Munawar Hosain/startraksphoto.com Published Aug 20, 2026, 2:07 PM EDT Adam Bentz is a senior news writer at ScreenRant, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and lists. He studied creative writing and English with a concentration in screenwriting at Southern New Hampshire University and interned as a writer/journalist for The Borgen Project, an influential organization that fights global poverty. However, one of his proudest achievements is editing a Leonardo DiCaprio freakout compilation that has over 150K views on YouTube. Adam also fancies himself an amateur film critic on his personal website. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Ridley Scott's new adaptation of a 143-year-old adventure classic has set sail with a start date and has added some new castaways to the crew. Scott has directed several adventure movies, such as Legend (1985) and the Best Picture winner Gladiator (2000). Though he does not typically direct traditional swashbuckling adventure flicks, he has helmed several historical epics featuring heavy elements of adventure, such as 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Robin Hood (2010), and Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014). Cinema · A Ridley Scott Production Ridley ScottFilmography Trivia 👽Sci-FiIn space ⚔HistoricalEpic 🎥ThrillerTension 🏆LegacyLegend 🚀ModernVisionary LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! → 01 Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror masterpiece introduced audiences to one of cinema’s most terrifying creatures and launched a massive franchise. The film’s tagline was “In space, no one can hear you scream.” What is this iconic film? ABlade Runner BAlien CPrometheus DThe Martian ✓ Correct! Alien (1979) redefined both the sci-fi and horror genres. Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley became one of cinema’s greatest heroines, and H.R. Giger’s nightmarish creature design created an icon of terror that has endured for over four decades. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Alien. Released in 1979, it combined claustrophobic horror with science fiction in a way never seen before. The film spawned multiple sequels, prequels, and crossovers, becoming one of the most successful franchises in movie history. NEXT → 02 Ridley Scott’s 1982 neo-noir sci-fi film, initially a box office disappointment, went on to become one of the most influential films ever made. It explores the question of what it means to be human through artificial beings called replicants. What is this film? ATotal Recall BAlien CBlade Runner DA.I. Artificial Intelligence ✓ Correct! Blade Runner (1982) is now considered one of the greatest science fiction films ever made. Based on Philip K. Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,” it pioneered the cyberpunk aesthetic and raised profound philosophical questions about consciousness and identity. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Blade Runner. Despite underperforming at the box office in 1982, it became a cult classic and is now widely regarded as a masterpiece. Its rain-soaked neon cityscape and Rutger Hauer’s “tears in rain” monologue are etched into cinema history. NEXT → 03 Ridley Scott directed a 2000 epic historical drama starring Russell Crowe as a Roman general betrayed by the emperor’s son and forced to fight as a gladiator. The film won five Academy Awards including Best Picture. What is this film? AKingdom of Heaven BTroy CBen-Hur DGladiator ✓ Correct! Gladiator (2000) revived the sword-and-sandal epic genre and earned Russell Crowe the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film’s iconic line “Are you not entertained?” and Hans Zimmer’s thunderous score cemented it as one of the greatest historical epics ever made. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Gladiator. Russell Crowe’s portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius is legendary. The film won five Oscars and single-handedly revived the historical epic genre, inspiring countless imitators in the years that followed. NEXT → 04 In 1991, Ridley Scott directed a groundbreaking road thriller starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as two women on the run after a tragic incident. The film became a cultural landmark for its feminist themes. What is this film? AThelma & Louise BG.I. Jane CA Good Year DSomeone to Watch Over Me ✓ Correct! Thelma & Louise (1991) was a cultural phenomenon that challenged Hollywood conventions. Written by Callie Khouri, who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, the film’s iconic final scene of the 1966 Thunderbird sailing over the Grand Canyon remains one of cinema’s most memorable images. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Thelma & Louise. This 1991 road thriller starred Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis and became a landmark of feminist cinema. It also featured a young Brad Pitt in a breakout role that helped launch his career. NEXT → 05 Ridley Scott directed a 2001 war film based on the true story of a U.S. military operation in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1993, where a mission to capture a warlord went catastrophically wrong. What is this film? AAmerican Sniper BBlack Hawk Down CThe Kingdom DBody of Lies ✓ Correct! Black Hawk Down (2001) is a visceral, unflinching portrayal of the Battle of Mogadishu. Based on Mark Bowden’s book, the film won two Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound. Its intense, documentary-style combat sequences set a new standard for war films. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Black Hawk Down. This 2001 war film depicted the harrowing 1993 Battle of Mogadishu with unflinching realism. American Sniper was directed by Clint Eastwood, while The Kingdom and Body of Lies were directed by other filmmakers. NEXT → 06 In 2015, Ridley Scott directed a survival sci-fi film starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars who must use his ingenuity to survive until rescue arrives. The film was based on Andy Weir’s novel. What is this film? AInterstellar BGravity CThe Martian DAd Astra ✓ Correct! The Martian (2015) was a critical and commercial triumph, earning over $630 million worldwide. Matt Damon’s charismatic performance as botanist Mark Watney, who “sciences the **** out of” his survival on Mars, earned the film seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is The Martian. While Interstellar was directed by Christopher Nolan, Gravity by Alfonso Cuarón, and Ad Astra by James Gray, it was Ridley Scott who brought Andy Weir’s beloved novel about a stranded astronaut to spectacular life on screen. NEXT → 07 Ridley Scott returned to the Alien franchise in 2012 with a prequel film that explored the origins of humanity and the mysterious Engineers who created the xenomorphs. What is the name of this prequel? AAlien: Covenant BAlien: Resurrection CAliens DPrometheus ✓ Correct! Prometheus (2012) marked Ridley Scott’s return to the universe he created over three decades earlier. The film expanded the Alien mythology by exploring the Engineers, an ancient race responsible for creating human life, and introduced new questions about the origins of the deadly xenomorphs. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Prometheus. Alien: Covenant (2017) was actually the sequel to Prometheus. Aliens (1986) was directed by James Cameron, and Alien: Resurrection (1997) was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Prometheus was Scott’s grand return to the franchise. NEXT → 08 Ridley Scott has directed over 25 feature films across multiple decades and genres. Despite his immense influence on cinema, he has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director multiple times but has never won. For which film did he receive his first Best Director Oscar nomination? AGladiator BBlade Runner CThelma & Louise DBlack Hawk Down ✓ Correct! Ridley Scott received his first Best Director Oscar nomination for Thelma & Louise (1991). He was nominated again for Gladiator (2000) and Black Hawk Down (2001), but has never won. Despite this, he received a knighthood in 2003 and remains one of cinema’s most respected and prolific directors. ✗ Even Ridley would call “Cut!” on that answer! The answer is Thelma & Louise. While many assume it was Gladiator, Scott’s first Best Director nomination actually came for the 1991 road thriller. He was subsequently nominated for Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, but the Oscar has remained elusive throughout his legendary career. REVEAL MY SCORE → Final Cut Complete Your Director’s Chair Rating / 8 Are you a Ridley Scott scholar — or still watching the director’s commentary? ↻ WATCH AGAIN Now, during an interview with Collider for his new movie The Dog Stars, Ridley Scott shared an update on his next project, the Treasure Island movie. The director confirmed he is "casting it right now," with Hugh Jackman having joined and the "hope" of adding Hugh Grant and "the kid from Adolescence." Shooting starts on November 1, Scott says. Read his full comments below: I'm already casting it right now. Yes, with Hugh Jackman. I hope Hugh Grant, and I hope the kid from Adolescence. I shoot November 1. By "the kid from Adolescence," Ridley Scott is likely referring to Owen Cooper, the first official confirmation that the director is eyeing the Emmy-winning actor for his Treasure Island movie. Cooper is likely being considered for the role of Jim Hawkins, the young boy who embarks on a perilous sea voyage after stumbling upon a map leading to buried treasure and finds himself in a battle of wits with the legendary pirate Long John Silver. Ridley Scott's Treasure Island movie was first announced in June 2026, with Hugh Jackman set to star as the iconic Long John Silver. Based on the 1883 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, its script is written by Jack Thorne – the co-creator of Adolescence, creator of Netflix's Lord of the Flies, and writer of the Enola Holmes franchise. It's unclear what role Hugh Grant is being considered for, but physician Dr. Livesey would be an intriguing fit. Other possibilities include the local gentry Squire Trelawney, Captain Smollett, and Billy Bones. Given Grant's recent turn toward eccentric and villainous characters, Trelawney feels like the most entertaining possibility. Scott has frequently assembled star-studded and well-cast ensembles for his films, with The Dog Stars featuring Oscar nominee Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Milk), two-time Emmy nominee Margaret Qualley (Maid, Fosse/Verdon), Oscar winner Allison Janney (I/Tonya), Oscar nominee Guy Pearce (The Brutalist), and Benecit Wong. The Dog Stars releases in theaters on August 28. A post-apocalyptic sci-fi film, The Dog Stars marks Ridley Scott's first sci-fi feature in nearly a decade. His last foray into the genre was Alien: Covenant (2017), also the last film he directed for the franchise. Although he remains attached as a producer, Scott has shifted his focus elsewhere, to historical epics like Napoleon (2023), Gladiator II (2024), and his upcoming Treasure Island remake. Birthdate November 30, 1937 Birthplace South Shields, County Durham, England Notable Projects The Martian, Gladiator, Alien Height 5 feet 8 inches Professions Film Director, Producer