Hugh Jackman Is Blackbeard: Ridley Scott's 'Treasure Island' Sets Pre-Thanksgiving 2027 Date

Ridley Scott is setting sail. The legendary director’s Treasure Island remake has locked in a pre-Thanksgiving 2027 release date, with Hugh Jackman cast as the fearsome Blackbeard, per Collider — a pairing of filmmaker and star that instantly makes this one of the most intriguing adventure films on the calendar.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel is one of the most adapted stories in literary history, but it has been decades since the definitive big-screen version. Scott, whose filmography spans from Alien to Gladiator, brings a visceral, grounded sensibility to historical epics — exactly the kind of muscular realism that could make buried treasure feel dangerous again.

Jackman as Blackbeard Is Inspired Casting

On paper, Hugh Jackman as the notorious pirate captain is the kind of casting that sells itself. Jackman has the physicality, the charisma, and — crucially — the theatrical menace to make Blackbeard more than a peg-legged caricature. After years of playing heroes, watching him cut loose as one of history’s most feared villains is a genuinely exciting prospect.

The role also continues Jackman’s impressive second act as a character actor unafraid of big swings. He has spent the Wolverine years proving he can anchor a franchise; now he gets to show what he can do when the eyepatch is on the other foot.

Thanksgiving Belongs to Adventure

The pre-Thanksgiving 2027 slot is no accident. That corridor has long been prime territory for sweeping, four-quadrant adventure films — the kind of movies families see together over the holiday. Planting a Ridley Scott pirate epic there is a statement of intent: this is not a dusty literary adaptation, it is a full-throated blockbuster.

Scott’s track record with historical spectacle needs no introduction. When he commits to a period world — whether ancient Rome or the Crusades — the result is immersive in a way few directors can match. Applied to the golden age of piracy, with Jackman leading the charge as Blackbeard, that craftsmanship could give audiences the definitive screen version of a story that has been waiting for one.

For Scott, the project is also a return to the kind of large-scale adventure storytelling that built his reputation. At this stage of his career, every new film is an event — and a pirate epic from the director of Gladiator is about as event-worthy as it gets.

Yo ho ho, indeed. Treasure Island sails into theaters just before Thanksgiving 2027.