David Oyelowo is reimagining one of literature’s most iconic pirates.
Paramount+ and MGM+ have unveiled a first look at Treasure Island, Playground Entertainment’s six-part adventure series starring David Oyelowo (Silo) as Long John Silver, marking the first time a Black actor has played the iconic pirate on screen.
Oyelowo leads a cast that includes Hayley Atwell (Avengers: Doomsday) as Bess Hawkins, Tom Sweet (Great Expectations) as Jim Hawkins, Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire) as Aaron Graham and Tomer Capone (The Boys) as Billy Bones. The series also stars Craige Els (Andor) as Mr. Arrow, Tristan Sturrock (Poldark) as Captain Smollett and Neil Pendleton (Outlander) as Mr. Cameron.
Reimagining Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, the series follows young Jim Hawkins and his fiercely determined mother Bess as they come into possession of Captain Flint’s legendary treasure map and are swept into a brutal race for unimaginable riches.
The series premieres on MGM+ in the U.S. on October 11 and on Paramount+ in the U.K. and Ireland the following day, with new episodes rolling out weekly through November 15 and 16, respectively. Fifth Season holds international rights elsewhere.
Treasure Island is a Paramount+ original series in association with MGM+ and Fifth Season, with Playground Entertainment producing. Robert Murphy (Vera, Shetland) created the series, with Jeremy Lovering, William McGregor and Paul Walker directing and Mark Hedges producing. Paramount+’s Sebastian Cardwell and Paul Testar commissioned the series, with Michael Wright and Alec Strum overseeing production for MGM+. David Stern, Scott Huff and Colin Callender executive produce on behalf of Playground, alongside Daniel Gratton, Murphy and Lovering.
Stevenson’s novel is one of the most adapted works in entertainment history. Previous versions include the 1934 MGM film starring Wallace Beery, the 1950 Disney adaptation with Robert Newton as Silver, a 1972 film featuring Orson Welles in the role, and the musical Muppet Treasure Island in 1996 with Tim Curry. The story was also reimagined as the animated space adventure Treasure Planet by Disney in 2002, and most recently adapted as a two-part miniseries for Sky in 2012, starring Eddie Izzard as Long John Silver.