Live-Action Treasure Planet: Will It Happen? Everything We Know About The Disney Remake

Among the unmade Disney reboots is a live-action Treasure Planet remake, and as more viewers have found the 2002 animated cult classic via Disney+ demand for a new version of Jim Hawkins and the cyborg John Silver continues to grow. Treasure Planet is a space-opera reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island. The animated Disney movie perfectly blended science-fiction and pirates, creating a unique tale that’s left an enduring legacy despite Treasure Planet underperforming at the box office.

While it’s incredibly different from animated classics like The Little Mermaid, The Jungle Book, or Beauty and the Beast, there’s still a strong case for Treasure Planet to be added to Disney’s schedule of upcoming live-action remakes. While there are no official plans as yet there have been rumors and teases, especially since Disney acquired LucasFilm, which offer a slither of hope for the oft-demanded live-action Treasure Planet remake to get an official release date from the House of Mouse.

Most Recent Live-Action Treasure Planet News

There hasn’t been any official news on a live-action Treasure Planet remake yet. However, there have been rumors reported on by various outlets that Lucasfilm could be eyeing the cult-classic 2002 animated movie as a chance to try their hand a producing their own live-action Disney remake. It’s clear to see why LucasFilm, the studio behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones would be a perfect choice for the live-action Treasure Planet, since the original is an out-and-out pirate-themed Space Opera.

The sci-fi visuals and fantasy action would play into LucasFilm’s wheelhouse. If the rumors reported by the likes of InsideTheMagic and others in August 2023 turn out to be true it will be welcome news, as not only is the studio suited to the remake but — as of time of writing — Disney hasn’t included Treasure Planet in their in-house live-action reboot plans.

The Live-Action Treasure Planet Isn’t Confirmed

The live-action Treasure Planet remake isn’t confirmed, though discussions about it have circulated online from more-or-less the moment that Disney first started adapting their animated classics with live-action casts. Nothing official has ever come from Disney themselves, though given the cult-classic status of Treasure Planet, and the new audience it’s gained since arriving on Disney+, there’s every chance a live-action remake has been considered (or at least discussed) behind the scenes at the House of Mouse.

Live-Action Treasure Planet Cast

There have been no official announcements, but the live-action Treasure Planet cast is one of the most widely speculated aspects of the remake. The many colorful characters in Treasure Planet create some excellent opportunities for Disney to put together an incredibly memorable live-action sequel. While the original 2002 movie has received praise for its cast, with Joseph Gordon Levitt (Inception, The Dark Knight) voicing Jim Hawkins and David Hyde Pierce (Frasier, A Bug’s Life) as Dr. Delbert Doppler among others, a key factor in why Treasure Planet is so fondly remembered.

While few of the original cast will likely return for the live-action movie, there are a few who could reprise their roles. David Hyde Pierce and Emma Thompson (Matilda the Musical, Cruella) could easily play Dr. Doppler and the adventurous Captain Amelia once more. The characters are both aliens, after all, so with the amount of CGI and practical effects required to bring them to life the decades since they first voiced the characters is no obstacle. The same cannot be said for Joseph Gordon Levitt, who is now considerably older than Jim Hawkins.

Unfortunately, Brian Murray (Law And Order: Criminal Intent, 30 Rock), passed away in 2018. Murray’s performance as the cyborg cook John Silver was near-flawless in Treasure Planet, and recasting him for the remake will be a challenge for Disney. Whoever ends up getting the role, it’s a near guarantee that his cybernetic enhancements will make the visual aesthetic of the character in live-action almost impossible to look away from.

Live-Action Treasure Planet Story: What Would The Remake Change?

It’s unclear how much of the animated movie Disney or LucasFilm would change for the live-action Treasure Planet remake. The 2002 original was a sci-fi space opera reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island. The narrative focuses on Jim Hawkins, a young teenage troublemaker with aspirations of becoming a space pirate like the legendary Captain Flint, whose undiscovered treasure is the subject of the stories Jim was read by his mother.

Jim soon joins a ship alongside Dr. Delbert Doppler after the pair discovers a holographic star map leading directly to Treasure Planet, the location of Flint’s treasure. After commissioning the RLS Legacy and setting sail, Jim befriends the ship’s cook, nefarious cyborg John Silver. Mutiny strikes on the journey, as it transpires Silver is the head of a pirate crew. The treasure is found and subsequently lost, with Silver’s greed proving to be his downfall - though he and Jim manage to patch things up before the end, with Silver valuing Jim more than his crew, and turning on them.

Everything about Treasure Planet from the sci-fi pirate aesthetic to the robust and thrilling narrative taken from Louis Stevenson’s book makes it seem like the perfect candidate for a live-action Disney remake. Exactly what, if anything, Disney will change about the story if the live-action Treasure Planet goes ahead remains to be seen — although there’s not much that demands rectifying in the way that some other remakes, such as The Aristocrats or The Lady and the Tramp with their problematic racial stereotypes, have required.