“The courage to do the impossible lies in the hearts of men” was the tagline for 2003’s “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” and clearly, some studio exec has taken that notion to heart. 20th Century Studios is looking to restart a big on-the-high-seas action pic and potential franchise. Deadline reports that the studio has assigned “A Monster Calls” screenwriter Patrick Ness to tackle a new “Master & Commander” film.
However, development is in the early stages, and a director isn’t currently attached to the film. Filmmaker Peter Weir, the director of the original film, is not expected to return. The new studio project is based on the first book in Patrick O’Brien‘s string of “Aubrey & Maturin” novels, which would mean they’ll likely recast the roles of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin with younger actors. The early “Aubrey & Maturin” books take place early in their careers in the British Royal Navy on the HMS Sophie during the Napoleonic Wars.
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A sequel to “Master & Commander” has been rumored for ages, but this would suggest 20th Century Studios is heading towards more of a soft-reboot than a direct follow-up to the original film.
READ MORE: Russell Crowe Teases Possible ‘Master And Commander’ Sequel
Films shot on the water are notoriously tough productions and extremely expensive for various logistical reasons. Unfortunately, because of the price tag involved, we don’t see studios rushing to make these kinds of projects. Thankfully, modern digital visual effects can help carry the load and, in some cases, save production money.
“Master & Commander” has a cult following and is based on a series of naval adventure novels penned by Patrick O’Brien. The 2003 film adapted the tenth novel, “The Far Side of The Ocean.” There are twenty installments of the books, giving 20th Century Studios and Disney plenty of options for sequels if this new project is successful. However, a franchise is just sitting there waiting if it can be marketed to an international audience.
The original film starred Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany as the main protagonists but struggled to splash at the global box office, only earning $211.6 million on a huge budget of $150 million. At the time, it was made in the shadow of Ridley Scott‘s “Gladiator” when studios were spending insane heaps of cash to make elaborate period action films, and a lot of them ended up becoming costly box office disasters.
People forget, “Master and Commander” was nominated for 10 Oscars at the 76th Academy Awards. rIt won Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing but lost all other categories to the sweeping behemoth of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”