I just so happened to stumble across
this article regarding a project to make a movie.
Not just any movie. A pirate movie.
And not just any pirate movie, but one based on a book by Michael Crichton (being published posthumously).
And not just any adaptation of a Crichton novel, but one with a script possibly written by David Koepp (adapted
Jurassic Park and
The Lost World) and produced -- possibly even directed -- by Steven Spielberg.
Here's a
description of the novel:
The
Caribbean, 1665. A remote colony of the English crown, the island of
Jamaica holds out against the vast supremacy of the Spanish empire.
Devoid of London's luxuries, Port Royal, its capital, is a cutthroat
town of taverns, grog shops, and bawdy houses. In this steamy climate,
life can end swiftly by dysentery — or dagger. But for a daring soul
like Captain Edward Hunter, this wild outpost in the New World can also
lead to great fortune, if he abides by the island's code. In the name
of His Majesty King Charles II of England, gold in Spanish hands is
gold for the taking and the law of the land rests with those ruthless
enough to make it.
Word in port is that the Spanish galleon El
Trinidad, fresh from New Spain, is awaiting repairs in nearby
Matanceros. Heavily fortified, the impregnable Spanish harbor is
guarded by the bloodthirsty Cazalla, a favorite commander of King
Philip IV. With the Jamaican governor's backing, Hunter assembles a
crew of ruffians to infiltrate the enemy island and commandeer the
galleon and its fortune in Spanish gold. The raid is as perilous as the
bloodiest tales of Matanceros legend, and Hunter will lose more than
one man before he makes it onto the island's shores, where dense jungle
and the firepower of Spanish infantry stand between him and the
treasure.
With the help of his cunning band, Hunter hijacks
El Trinidad and escapes the deadly clutches of Cazalla, leaving plenty
of carnage in his wake. But the danger — and adventure — are only just
beginning...The book will be released November 24, 2009. The movie is still in the very earliest phases.