‘Treasure Island’ sets release date as David Oyelowo takes on iconic Long John Silver role
Fans waiting for the ‘Treasure Island’ premiere date finally have good news. In an exclusive first look shared by Deadline, Paramount+ revealed that the highly anticipated series will premiere on October 11 on Paramount+ in the US. For the UK and Ireland, the series will premiere the next day, October 12. After that, new episodes will air weekly through November 15 and 16, respectively. The book adaptation of ‘Treasure Island’ features David Oyelowo, Jack Huston, and Hayley Atwell in the lead. For the much-awaited series, Tomer Capone and Tom Sweet will also join the lead characters. With Oyelowo playing the iconic Long John Silver, Atwell takes on Bess Hawkins, and Huston plays Aaron Graham.
The storyline follows the transformation of teenager Jim Hawkins (Tom Sweet). Viewers will witness his journey from a sheltered boy towards becoming a young pirate. MGM Studios’ official press release describes the storyline as, “Treasure Island is a bold, high-stakes coming-of-age adventure series for a new generation, charting the transformation of teenager Jim Hawkins from sheltered boy to emboldened young pirate.” It further reads, “When Jim gets his hands on a legendary treasure map, his mother Bess’s clever and decisive actions leave him holding valuable knowledge that puts both of their lives in danger.” Further in the press note, it reads, “Jim must grow up fast as he and his mother fight for survival on a voyage where alliances shift, secrets multiply and peril closes in from all sides.”
‘Treasure Island’ is a Paramount+ and MGM+ original series. It’s in association with Fifth Season, with Playground as the producer. Robert Murphy is the show creator. The show’s directors include Jeremy Lovering, Paul Walker, and William McGregor, and Mark Hedges is among the producers. Fans might already know Murphy from ‘Vera’ and ‘Shetland’, while Lovering’s notable works include ‘Slow Horses’, ‘The One’, and more. McGregor’s ‘His Dark Materials’, ‘The Buccaneers’, and ‘Lockwood & Co’ have also been quite popular. Paul Walker’s works range from ‘Shameless’ and ‘Hunting Alice Bell’ to ‘Riviera’ and more.
The showmakers also include Paramount+’s Sebastian Cardwell as the outgoing Deputy Chief Content Officer (UK), along with Paul Testar as Commissioning Editor for Paramount+ (UK and Ireland). Michael Wright is the global head of MGM+, and Alec Strum is the original programming executive, overseeing MGM+ production. The producer team includes David Stern, Colin Callender, and Scott Huff of Wolf Hall maker Playground, along with Daniel Gratton, Murphy, and Lovering, who also serve as EPs.
