Master and Commander Prequel Is Happening, Will Russell Crowe Return?

Eighteen years after the release of the original movie, 20th Century Studios is developing anew Master and Commander movie. Per Deadline, the studio is moving forward on a new movie adaptation withA Monster Callswriter Patrick Ness writing the script. The project is said to be in its early stages and there isn’t a director or any actors currently attached at this time. It’s also unclear when shooting will tentatively begin, along with the studio’s targeted release window.

Based on the original book series by Patrick O’Brian,Master and Commanderwas previously adapted into a movie as 2003’sMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Directed by Peter Weir and co-written by Weir and John Collee, the movie followed Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey and his pursuit of a French war vessel on the open waters. Paul Bettany also starred as the ship’s surgeon. The movie grossed more than $211 million at the box office and was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture, and won for Best Cinematography.

Inspired by the book series,the original Master and Commander movie adaptationdrew material from three different books penned by O’Brian. The plan at the time was for the movie to spawn a new long-running franchise with so much more source material to fall back on, but a sequel never got off the ground. In 2010, even Crowe himself got in on the attempts to develop a follow-up toMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World, but even his pleas fell on deaf ears.

“If you want a Master and Commander sequelI suggest you e-mail Tom Rothman at Fox and let him know your thoughts,” the actor posted to Twitter in December 2010.

Reportedly, this new movie adaptation at 20th Century will be based on the first book in the series,following a young Aubrey, “as he is given his first command and also explores how his friendship with his naval surgeon, Stephen Maturin (Bettany), begins.” Because it would serve as a prequel to the 2003 movie, it’s more than likely that new actors would be playing Aubrey and Maturin. It’s also unclear if the new movie will be considered canonical toThe Far Side of the Worldor if it’s intended to spark its own cinematic universe.

Writer Patrick Ness is known for authoring the bestselling book seriesChaos Walking, which was recently adapted into a movie with Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland starring. The screenplay was co-written by Ness and Christopher Ford. He also wrote the script for the 2016 movieA Monster Calls, similarly based on his original novel. The screenwriter has also penned the script for an upcoming adaptation ofThe Lord of the Fliesfor Warner Bros. and Luca Guadagnino.

There’s no word on when the newMaster and Commandermight be released. In the meantime, you can stream the 2003 movie adaptation,Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, on Amazon Prime Video. You can also look forward to seeing Crowe in the role of Zeus inThor: Love and Thunder, which just recently wrapped with the actor. This news comes to us fromDeadline.