20th Century Studios is reportedly developing a new Master And Commander film, almost twenty years after the release of Peter Weir‘s nautical adventure Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World. Patrick Ness, who previously wrote A Monster Calls and Chaos Walking, will write the script.
The original film starred Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey, in charge of a British vessel in pursuit of a French warship. The film was nominated for 10 Oscars, but has gained even more appreciation over the years since its release.
That film was an adaptation of a book in Patrick O’Brian‘s long-running series, and was intended to be the first of several movies based on O’Brian’s books. But the film didn’t perform well enough at the box office – $211.6 million on a $150 million budget – to justify a follow up.
This film may actually be a prequel, as Deadline reports that the film could be based on the first book in the series, which focuses on a younger Aubrey. That would make sense if the studio intends the film to be the start of a franchise.
Crowe has always been on board to make another entry in the series, but it looks extremely unlikely that he would reprise his role as Aubrey. He could take a supporting role in a meta nod to the 2003 film, or perhaps the film will be re-tooled to focus on a new younger character instead, which would open up the chance for an older Aubrey to play a sort of mentor role.
This is all just speculation right now, as the project isn’t very far along. No director is yet attached, and it seems unlikely that Weir would be asked to return. He’s only made one film since Master And Commander in 2003 – the 2010 war drama The Way Back, which got positive reviews but was a box office flop. He hasn’t made anything since.
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