The boss of 20th Century Studios, Steve Asbell, has revealed that the studio is still determined to make a prequel to one of Oscar winner Russell Crowe’s best movies. Speaking with THR, and revealing all manner of exciting updates about some of the most iconic franchises, including the likes of Predator, Alien, and Planet of the Apes, Asbell offered an exciting update regarding the long-awaited next installment in the Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World saga.
Announced back in 2021, a Master and Commander prequel has been in the works ever since, with Asbell now revealing that a script has been completed and the studio is now on the hunt for the perfect filmmaker to take the helm.
“I’m trying so hard. It’s the first movie I worked on at Fox twenty years ago. We have a great script. It just needs the right director.”
Co-written, produced and directed by Peter Weir, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was released back in 2003 and drops audiences into the wild waters of 1805. Telling the epic tale of the H.M.S. Surprise, the brash Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his trusted friend, the ship’s surgeon, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), Master and Commander follows the crew as they hunt down a powerful French vessel during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Master and Commander Prequel Will Follow a Young Jack Aubrey
Master and Commander was met with critical acclaim at the time, and holds a hugely impressive rating of 85% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Many had hoped that it would launch a new, epic, sea-faring franchise based on more of the novels by author Patrick O’Brian. Alas, we are still waiting, but it certainly sounds like something of a passion project for Asbell.
The prequel was officially announced back in 2021, and while details such as cast and director are unknown, it was revealed at the time that the movie would be based on the first book in the series. Deadline reported at the time that the prequel would center on “a young Aubrey as he is given his first command and also explores how his friendship with his naval surgeon, Stephen Maturin (Bettany), begins. Since this would be set in the early days of Aubrey, it also is likely they would have new talent playing Aubrey and Maturin as well.”
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While Crowe would be unlikely to return (though perhaps he could frame the movie as an older Jack Aubrey looking back on his time at sea), the actor has previously revealed his disappointment over not starring in more Master and Commander movies. And explained how the franchise was killed by the Pirates of the Caribbean. He said to GQ:
“We should’ve definitely done more than one movie. It’s a funny thing though. Master and Commander is sort of, even though it got 10 or so Academy Award nominations, and it did very well at the box office globally, it just didn’t hit the certain number in America. And at that time, that was a very dominant part of the decision. We kind of missed the boat, so to speak. Our shoot was over and done before they started shooting Pirates of the Caribbean but then our post-production was very complicated and took a long time. So, we came out after Pirates of the Caribbean and just the way things work, once people have seen a big boat movie that’s a comedy, then trying to get them to focus on a big boat period movie.”