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Treasure Island, a new action-adventure series premiering on MGM+ on October 11, is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel of the same name.
The series stars David Oyelowo (“Selma”) as Long John Silver, 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 working on ‘Treasure Island,’ Atwell’s first reaction to the idea of a reimagined version of the classic story, how Oyelowo approached his iconic role, and the biggest challenges he faced while creating the series.
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Moviefone: First of all, Haley, can you tell us about your first reaction to the idea of this series and your retelling of the classic story?
Hayley Atwell: I was so happy. Because when they first suggested ‘Treasure Island’ to me, I had no idea what characters they meant. Because I don’t remember Beth Hawkins doing a voice in any of the books. I think Robert Murphy did a great job with the script that essentially fleshes out Jim’s origin story. So we understand and care more about Jim’s journey. I think it’s because I understand where he’s coming from. Anyway, that was my attempt to help us understand Beth better through who she is. And at the same time, female audiences get a feminine representation of a woman with a very strong pirate spirit. There were a lot of female pirates back then, but there weren’t many. So I think that’s a really fair update. Then you are essentially a woman who fits well into the fantasy and adventure genres. Because the stakes are so great that danger and threats come at her from every angle. I think it makes for a pretty interesting character to play.
MF: David, can you talk about how you take on an iconic character like Long John Silver and put your own twist on it, making it your own?
David Oyelowo: Well, some of those twists were already in the script, as Robert Murphy wrote. He wasn’t just a black person in this story, something we’ve never seen that kind of representation of. He was already a slave from the Caribbean island and was aboard this ship. So for me, that was the moment where I no longer needed to say anything. Because from Hayley’s perspective, because there were female pirates at the time, there were quite a few black pirates and we don’t necessarily see that representation on screen in this story. So it felt very organic to weave that together, and it felt like a way to freshen up the narrative. We’ve had several adaptations of ‘Treasure Island,’ but we’ve never seen a version where people like me and Hayley can be front and center in terms of the demographic that we’re in. So those were the things that made me feel like this was a really worthwhile endeavor. This is a new way to tell this story.
MF: Lastly, David, what was one aspect of this character or this particular scene that you found difficult to execute and how did you overcome that challenge?
do: Well, there is a perception that needs to be overcome. This is a beloved character that many people have their own ideas about who he is and who should play him. But again, because of the specific way we were doing it, I felt like I could let it go. There’s always pressure when you’re playing an iconic role of any kind, whether it’s a great Shakespearean role or something similar in some sense, but in terms of the literal challenge, you also have to deal with very risky clichés like stumps and parrots, and how can they not become, in some sense, a parody of themselves? How do they feel realistic and grounded? Because if you have a woman dealing with the misogyny of the time, and a man escaping the slavery of the time, you already have a more grounded narrative in a sense. So, in a sense, we spent a lot of time trying to make it feel earned and organic because we didn’t want the parrot or the peg legs to undermine it. It was then physically very difficult to walk around with strong legs and not being able to bend at the knees for three months. Especially when we got to the actual Treasure Island, which was in very difficult terrain. It hit my body. So there were challenges, but it was all worth it.
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 the treasure, as does a British agent (Jack Huston) and an experienced pirate (David Oyelowo).
Who are the cast members of ‘Treasure Island’?
- Tom Sweet as Jim Hawkins
- David Oyelowo as Long John Silver
- Hayley Atwell as Beth 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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