Russell Crowe's Most Overlooked Epic May Finally Get A Prequel – If The Studio Can Find The Right Director

Oceans are now battlefields, Russell Crowe isn't getting any younger, and "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" fans are still waiting on news of another movie in the seafaring series. That lengthy wait, however, might finally be getting shorter. Directed by the great Peter Weir, the 2003 original has had audiences craving another sequel for over two decades now. Unfortunately, the historical epic had the grave misfortune of debuting only a few weeks before "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" sucked up all the moviegoing oxygen and swept the subsequent Academy Awards ... dooming the masterful (pun certainly intended) blockbuster to an uncertain fate.

Now, that long-awaited follow up might just be closer to happening than ever before — presuming the concerned parties can figure out one key missing piece. Although Crowe once valiantly mounted an online campaign to usher in a sequel starring himself, co-lead Paul Bettany, and the rest of the motley crew of the British warship HMS Surprise, the news broke in 2021 that a "Master and Commander" prequel film was tentatively in the works. Hollywood being what it is, of course, the mere notion of being "in development" doesn't exactly amount to much and we haven't heard any major updates since. Today, however, we've got it straight from the horse's mouth that this prequel idea remains alive and well.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell was asked point blank for news on various titles, including the "Master and Commander" prequel. He offered an encouraging response:

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

Tune your cello and fire up the sweet classical strains of Bach, because we might very well be returning to the exploits of Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey and his loyal sailors in the Napoleonic Wars against the French ... but with a catch. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that bringing back Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, and the rest of the original cast is in the cards. Considering that the 2003 film is based on a lengthy series of novels by author Patrick O'Brian, there's no shortage of source material to fuel any number of future adaptations. In fact, one could argue that turning "Master and Commander" into an all-out franchise has been decades overdue. Ironically, that's precisely the reason why it feels like such a missed opportunity if the studio decides to forego a proper sequel with Crowe, Bettany, and all the rest.

"Master and Commander" isn't just an epic adventure film with one of the greatest ship-to-ship battles ever committed to film, but it's also precisely the kind of adult-minded, star-driven movie that we so desperately need more of these days. Crowe isn't far removed from singlehandedly leading movies to box office glory, and historical dramas always come with a built-in demographic ready and willing to see it in theaters. (Dads everywhere, we salute you!) But consider that the Aubrey–Maturin series of novels, amounting to a whopping 20 total books (with another left unfinished), also continue long past the events of the 2003 movie and follow Captain Jack and his crew well into old age. If there must be a flashy prequel with a younger cast to bring audiences back on board, so be it — but that shouldn't come at the expense of a sequel bringing back the cast we know and love.

As for which director the studio should be eyeing, well, Ridley Scott just finished one legacy sequel to a Russell Crowe movie with "Gladiator II" ... so why not work his magic on this? Stay tuned.