The 'Master and Commander' Prequel Is Hunting for 'the Right Director,' Studio Boss Says

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Brace yourselves: The movie studio that made oceans into battlefields more than two decades ago is poised to do it again.

Amid an interview filled with hints toward an unending number of franchise films in the works, 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell casually told The Hollywood Reporter that a script for a prequel to the beloved 2003 film "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" is currently in the studio's possession. Deadline had previously reported in 2021 that writer Patrick Ness ("Chaos Walking") had been charged with writing the first draft.

"I'm trying so hard," Asbell told The Hollywood Reporter. "It's the first movie I worked on at Fox 20 years ago. We have a great script. It just needs the right director."

For the uninitiated, "Master and Commander" is a loose adaptation of one of English novelist Patrick O'Brian's books. The 21-book series features Royal Navy Capt. Jack Aubrey (played by Russell Crowe in the film) and his friend, physician, naturalist and spy Dr. Stephen Maturin (played by Paul Bettany). It was also director Peter Weir's second-to-last film before his unofficial retirement.

If you're not a fan of "Master and Commander," that's fine; just don't take to Twitter (or X) about it. Aside from a legion of longtime superfans waiting to pounce on you, Russell Crowe will also modestly destroy your opinion. The untold droves of Aubrey-Maturin fans even once prompted a GQ writer to ask, "Why Are So Many Guys Obsessed With Master and Commander?" (She nailed the answer, by the way.) Asbell appears to be one of those fans.

At the moment, all we know is that a script exists -- and that's basically it. In an effort to get Asbell to find that right director and get the ball rolling, here are some things we'd like to know about the script.

The Plot

The 2003 film is a loose adaptation of O'Brian's 1984 book, "The Far Side of the World," but incorporates plot points from three other novels. In the book, Aubrey takes command of the HMS Surprise to protect British whalers in the Pacific Ocean. As the book takes place during the War of 1812, Surprise is looking for a fictional U.S. Navy ship, the USS Norfolk.

Rather than take a chance making the Americans the villain in the film, the setting was changed to 1805 and the Norfolk became an American-built French privateer. What the movie is actually about is the enduring friendship between Aubrey and Maturin and, while Aubrey's full character is on display in the film, viewers get to see only a fraction of Maturin's depth.

Since Asbell's interview in the Hollywood Reporter described the new script as a prequel, it would make sense to merge O'Brian's first three books, "Master and Commander," "Post Captain" and "HMS Surprise." These not only describe how Aubrey and Maturin met and became friends, they exemplify the characters of each while showing how Aubrey came to command HMS Surprise. They're also filled with more than enough old-timey naval action.

The Cast

The book series ends after the Napoleonic War, some 15 years after the two main characters meet. If we were making a sequel, both Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany would be in excellent shape to reprise their roles -- but not so much for a prequel. When the book series starts, Aubrey is around 30 years old. While Maturin's age is never mentioned, the two compete for the same women in the series, so they are likely of similar age.

Fans of both the book and movie have put forward the names of a number of actors who might fit the bill. To fill Aubrey's boots, Alexander Ludwig ("Vikings") and Alex Pettyfer ("The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare") top the lists. For a younger Maturin, some have suggested Barry Keoghan ("Gladiator II") and Iwan Rheon ("Game of Thrones"). Casting Aubrey's principal crew members Tom Pullings, William Mowett and Barret Bonden would be much simpler, although his personal steward, the cantankerous Preserved Killick could still be reprised by actor David Threlfall, who looks exactly the same as he did 20 years ago, except for his gray hair.

The Director

If a longtime movie executive (and fan of the original movie) like 2oth Century Studios’ Asbell can't think of the right director off the top of his head, that's probably because there isn't a perfect director. Weir unofficially retired after 2010 and then officially retired in 2022. There are, however, a few directors whose work really resonates with audiences and might work really well with fans of the books series.

Sam Mendes' "1917" not only depicts the English at war, but does it in a visually striking way. Edward Berger's 2022 remake of "All Quiet on the Western Front" beautifully captured the friendship and youth of its core cast while, conversely, depicting the chaos of World War I trench combat. Sir Ridley Scott would be another excellent choice for director for his ability to take complex source material like "Black Hawk Down" and distill it into a tighter, cohesive narrative without losing any of the the character or humanity.

All this is to say: "Hey, Steve Asbell. Let's get going on this already." As O'Brian himself said: "Quick's the word and sharp's the action."

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