Warner Bros. and Sherlock Holmes** producer Lionel Wigram have been sailing the heady seas of development towards a new version of** Treasure Island** for at least a couple of years now. But while they’ve hit a couple of sandbanks (Paul Greengrass considered but ditched the idea), they’re now headed for a safe harbour, attaching Holmes man Guy Ritchie to take on the project.
In what will likely be the 734th (or thereabouts) adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic pirate yarn, the plan is to maintain the period trappings but give it a modern feel, much as they did with Baker Street’s most famous resident.
Warners has hired Alex Harakis to write the screenplay for Ritchie to consider. It’s the latest joint venture between the director and his Holmes producer, and will be a part of the production company they’re now operating, along with T****he Man From U.N.C.L.E.
The studio is hoping to get the project out of port before Ecosse Films can put the wind in the sails of its own update, which so far seems stuck at the script stage.