Given the 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was based off a series comprising of 20 separate novels, it’s surprising that it took this long for the Oscar-winning film to get a sequel. Deadline reports that 20th Century is developing a Master and Commander prequel, with A Monster Calls writer Patrick Ness handling the script.
The original film starred Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey, a British naval captain who takes on a dangerous mission in the middle of the Napoleonic Wars. Paul Bettany played Stephen Maturin, a ship’s surgeon and the other main character in the Master and Commander series.
Sources quoted by Deadline say the new movie is set to be a prequel, based off the first book in the series, which follows a young Aubrey and the beginning of his friendship with Maturin. 2003’s Master and Commander film was only loosely based off the source material, drawing from five different books in the series.
The original film was a success, taking in more than $200 million worldwide and receiving 10 Oscar nominations–taking home the titles of Best Cinematography and Best Sound Editing, while the rest were lost to the awards behemoth that was The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King.
So far only the writer Patrick Ness is attached to the project, with no cast or director announced. While it’s possible Bettany and Crowe may return to reprise their roles, a prequel would more likely see 20th Century recast the iconic roles.
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