Treasure Island TV Adaptation Begins Production

A new television adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel Treasure Island has entered production, featuring a high-profile cast led by David Oyelowo and Hayley Atwell. The six-part series, commissioned by MGM for the United States and Paramount for the United Kingdom and Ireland, reimagines the 18th-century pirate adventure as a coming-of-age story set against a backdrop of shifting alliances and high-stakes peril.

Production began this month under the guidance of Playground, with Fifth Season handling global distribution outside the core territories. The series centers on teenager Jim Hawkins, played by Tom Sweet, who transforms from a sheltered boy into a bold young pirate after obtaining a legendary treasure map. His mother, Bess Hawkins portrayed by Atwell, takes decisive action that endangers their lives with valuable knowledge. Aboard the ship Hispaniola, Jim and Bess navigate tensions between the charismatic yet menacing pirate Long John Silver, played by Oyelowo, and the suave but deceitful British agent Aaron Graham, enacted by Jack Huston. Tomer Capone rounds out the principal cast as Billy Bones.

Created for television by Robert Murphy, known for his work...