From sci-fi to epic dramas: what’s next from Ridley Scott

With The Dog Stars now playing, Ridley Scott is already pointing his camera at wildly different horizons. On his board: a classic pirate yarn with Hugh Jackman , a return to Alien anchored by Michael Fassbender, a third swing at Gladiator with Paul Mescal in the mix, and a Bee Gees biopic. Scott, 88, hasn’t dated any of them yet, but the mix is pure him—big swings in four directions at once.

• Treasure Island — Jackman attached as Long John Silver; script by Jack Thorne; produced by Scott and Michael Pruss via Scott Free; in development.
• Alien prequel — continues 2017’s Alien: Covenant; brings back Fassbender’s David; in development.
• Gladiator III — conceptual stage; Paul Mescal expected to return as Lucius; no date.
• You Should Be Dancing — Bee Gees biopic; written by John Logan ; Jacob Elordi reported as Barry Gibb; delayed from a previously planned 2025 start.

Pirates on deck

Treasure Island would steer Scott into pirate waters for the first time, adapting Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel. Jackman is set to play the legendary Long John Silver, with Jack Thorne (Adolescence ) writing the screenplay and Scott producing alongside Michael Pruss through Scott Free.

The story follows young Jim Hawkins, a map to Captain Flint’s buried fortune, and a perilous voyage on the Hispaniola where Silver’s charisma masks a ruthless agenda. There’s no release year yet, but Jackman’s casting alone suggests an outsized take on a tale everybody thinks they know.

Back to Alien

Scott has said a new Alien prequel is in development, picking up the philosophical thread from Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. The plan brings Michael Fassbender back as the synthetic David, with hints the story would center on the android forging a “brave new world” rather than just another bug hunt. No timeline has been announced.

Rome and disco

On the Roman front, Gladiator III remains an idea Scott keeps talking about rather than a locked movie. He’s teased a direction that moves beyond the arena, with Paul Mescal’s Lucius facing the weight of power after the events of Gladiator II—a pivot Scott has likened to The Godfather. Mescal has said he’s “massively down” to return, but there’s no green light or date.

The curveball is You Should Be Dancing, a Bee Gees biopic written by John Logan (Gladiator). Jacob Elordi has been reported as set to play Barry Gibb. Scott has pointed to the brothers ’ working‑class roots, their stratospheric rise, and the tragedies that followed—including the death of Andy Gibb—as reasons he wants to tell it. Production was previously eyed for 2025, but it’s been delayed and remains undated.

Hugh Jackman is attached to play Long John Silver.

Meanwhile, The Dog Stars—a post‑apocalyptic thriller starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin and Margaret Qualley—opened in theaters on August 28, 2026 .