Premiering on MGM+ October 11th is the new action-adventure series ‘Treasure Island‘, which is based on the classic novel of the same name by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The series stars David Oyelowo (‘Selma‘) as Long John Silver, as well as Hayley Atwell (‘Captain America: The First Avenger‘), Tom Sweet (‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms‘), and Jack Huston (‘Spider Noir‘).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with David Oyelowo and Hayley Atwell about their work on ‘Treasure Island’, Atwell’s first reaction to the idea of this reimagined version of the classic story, how Oyelowo approached his iconic role, and the biggest challenge he faced making this series.
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Moviefone: To begin with, Hayley, can you talk about your first reaction to the idea of this series and reimagining the classic story?
Hayley Atwell: I was so delighted, because when they first offered me ‘Treasure Island’, I couldn’t work out what character they could possibly mean, because I don’t remember Bess Hawkins having a voice in the book at all. So Robert Murphy, I thought, did a brilliant job on the script of fleshing out essentially Jim’s origin story. So we understand and care more about Jim’s journey, I think because we understand where he came from. That was my attempt anyway, to make us understand him a little bit more through who Bess was. Then, at the same time, for female audiences to get female representation of a woman who had a very much a pirate spirit. You know, there were female pirates back then, not many, but they were there. So to have that was, I think, a really fair update. Then, essentially, a woman who fits well into a genre of fantasy and adventure, because the stakes for her are so high, so there’s danger and threat coming at her at all angles. That, I think, makes for quite an exciting character to play.
MF: David, can you talk about taking on an iconic character like Long John Silver and how you put your own twist on the character to make it your own?
David Oyelowo: Well, part of that twist was already in the scripts, as written by Robert Murphy. He wasn’t just a token black man in this narrative where we otherwise haven’t seen that kind of representation. He was very much already a formerly enslaved man from the Caribbean Islands, who had found his way onto this ship. So that, for me, was the say no more moment, because, to Hayley’s point, as there were female pirates, there were quite a few black pirates back then, and we haven’t seen that representation necessarily on screen in these narratives. So, it felt very organic to weave that in, and it felt like a way to freshen up the narrative. We’ve had many adaptations of ‘Treasure Island’, but we haven’t seen the version where myself and someone like Hayley could be front and center in terms of the demographics we’re part of. So, those were the things that really made it feel like this is a worthwhile endeavor. This is a new way to tell this story.
MF: Finally, to follow up, David, was their one aspect to this character or a particular scene that was challenging for you to execute and how did you overcome that challenge?
DO: Well, there’s a perception thing to overcome, you know, this is a beloved character that a lot of people have their own notion of who he is and who should play him, if I’m being completely honest. But, again, because of the specific way we were doing that, I felt able to let that go. You always feel pressure when you’re playing any kind of iconic role, whether it be a great Shakespearean role or something the likes of this in a sense, but in terms of literal challenges, you also have to deal with the very hazardous cliches of the stump and the parrot, and how do those not become parodies of themselves in a sense? How do they feel like they are real and grounded? Because if you have a woman who is dealing with the misogyny of the time, and if you have a man who is coming out of enslavement at that time, you already have a narrative that’s more grounded in a sense. So, you don’t want the parrot or the peg leg to undercut that, in a sense, and so we spent a lot of time trying to make sure that those felt earned, and organic. Then it was just very physically demanding walking around with a braced leg that didn’t allow me to bend at the knee for three months, especially when we got to the actual treasure island bit, where we are on very inclement terrain. It did beat my body up. So, there were challenges, but they were all worthwhile.
What is the plot of ‘Treasure Island’?
Jim Hawkins (Tom Sweet) and his mother (Hayley Atwell) come into possession of an old treasure map and search for the location of treasure, as a British agent (Jack Huston) and an experienced pirate (David Oyelowo) do likewise.
Who is in the cast of ‘Treasure Island’?
- Tom Sweet as Jim Hawkins
- David Oyelowo as Long John Silver
- Hayley Atwell as Bess Hawkins
- Jack Huston as Aaron Graham
- Tomer Capone as Billy Bones
- Craige Els as Mr Arrow
- Tristan Sturrock as Captain Smollett
- Neil Pendleton as Mr Cameron
List of David Oyelowo Movies and TV Shows:
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