MGM+ and Paramount+ have commissioned a six-episode adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel Treasure Island. The series stars David Oyelowo as Long John Silver, Hayley Atwell as Bess Hawkins, Tom Sweet as teenager Jim Hawkins, Jack Huston as British agent Aaron Graham, and Tomer Capone as Billy Bones. Production starts later this month, with premiere details to follow.
The series reimagines the 18th-century pirate adventure as a coming-of-age story. When Jim obtains a treasure map, he and his mother Bess face dangers from pirates and agents aboard the ship Hispaniola, amid shifting alliances in the Caribbean and on Skeleton Island. It explores themes of resilience, loyalty, and identity.
Created by Robert Murphy (Vera, Shetland), the show is directed by Jeremy Lovering (Slow Horses), William McGregor (The Buccaneers), and Paul Walker (Shameless), with Mark Hedges as producer. Playground produces in association with Fifth Season and MGM+. Executive producers include David Stern, Scott Huff, Colin Callender, Daniel Gratton, Murphy, and Lovering. Commissioned for Paramount+ UK and Ireland by Sebastian Cardwell and for MGM+ US by Michael Wright, it will stream exclusively on those platforms, with Fifth Season handling international distribution outside the US, UK, and Ireland. Production services are provided in Spain by Ánima Stillking.
Cardwell described it as a 'bold and atmospheric reimagining' with 'fresh emotional depth.' Wright called it a 'perfect expression of the MGM+ brand,' praising the ensemble cast and Murphy's take. Stern and Huff highlighted its 'epic scope' and 'fidelity to the novel,' while Fifth Season's Kate Laffey noted its global appeal.
