If you live in Cape Town and happened to travel along the N2 heading to Somerset West, you may have spotted a giant ship seemingly docked right on the side on the road, at least a good couple of km’s away from any ocean. No, you didn’t suddenly find yourself transported to the island on Lost, nor has some tik-kop decided that he’s Noah and he needs a vessel for the coming flood.
No, that was actually the set being used for Black Sails, the new Michael Bay produced TV series all about pirates, scurvy and plank walking. Oh and really hot wenches. All of which can be found in this first trailer recently released by Starz.
No, your eyes did not deceive you. That is indeed Toby Stephens, aka Gustav Graves from Die Another Day, that you just saw screaming about revenge. Oh, you didn’t actually recognize him, because your subconscious has erased Die Another Day from your memory? Either way, trust me, it’s him, and he’ll be playing Captain Flint. And if that name sounds familiar, it’s because Black Sails is actually being poised as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’ classic tale, Treasure Island. Only with more explosions. And did I mention the hot wenches?
I recently met somebody who actually filmed several scenes in the show, and based on what he tells me, not only is Michael Bay actually not a Nazi (Gee thanks, Megan Fox, that’s the last time I use you as a source!) but the show has quite a lot of promise to it. Starz has done some interesting things ever since exploding on to the TV network scene with the totally gratuitous Spartacus, and while that show may have turned into the bloodiest turd since the morning after Darryn ate all those chillies, their other recent efforts, like David S. Goyer’s Da Vinci’s Demons, have all been rather great.
In fact, based on what I can see in this trailer, it actually has a lot in common, tonally, with Da Vinci’s demons and that is definitely not a bad thing. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that Jonathan E. Steinberg, the man behind the cult favourite cancelled-then-revived-then-cancelled-again-then-revived-as-a-comic-book Jericho, is actually the showrunner on this one. Starz also roped in director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday, The Centurion) to helm the pilot episode, snippets of which was shown to the audience at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. Reception was so overwhelmingly positive, that the network has already picked up the show for a full second season as well, so there shouldn’t be any worry from your side that the show will be sent to Davy Jones’ locker right as you start getting into it.
And besides, it’s pirates doing piratey things. This thing will probably be overflowing with fans.
Black Sails is set to air on US screens in January 2014, and hopefully we’ll see it hit local airwaves not too long thereafter.
Last Updated: October 15, 2013
Lardus-Resident Perve
October 15, 2013 at 09:46
Best pirate movie ever: The Crimson Pirate. This seems like it has great potential too.
Lourens Corleone
October 15, 2013 at 10:30
So, not Cutthroat Island?
Lardus-Resident Perve
October 15, 2013 at 10:46
I do not remember all the good movies, but I would say:
1 – The Crimson Pirate
2 – Pirates of the Caribbean 1 (rest became too outlandish to qualify)
3 – Cutthroat Island
4 – Blackie the Pirate 😛
James Francis
October 15, 2013 at 12:01
Sadly that list sums up the general state of pirate genre movies. Maybe Goonies should get an honorable mention…
Skyblue
October 16, 2013 at 09:42
Hah!! Captain Mel Reynolds. Best (overall) pirate ever! If you don’t know the movie then you go into negative geek points.
Lardus-Resident Perve
October 16, 2013 at 11:32
Does Serenity not count as a Sci-Fi movie? rather than a Pirate movie? You get a plus to your Troll points 😛
Skyblue
October 16, 2013 at 14:58
Hehe. I was trolling but he was a space pirate, not the traditional sort I know.
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 15, 2013 at 10:43
If I saw that ship I’d expect to see a scrap collector next to it trying to load it onto his trolley.
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 15, 2013 at 10:51
I’m quite keen to see this. It’ll hit my local airwaves the day after it does in the US *cough*
Does Da Vinci’s Demons get better? Because I watched the pilot & was not very impressed. I quite enjoy silly, but even silly should have some logic behind it.
NecroRince
October 15, 2013 at 11:34
It did. I really enjoyed the show. Believe it has been picked up for a second season.
James Francis
October 15, 2013 at 12:02
It actually does. At least, the more I watched it, the more I enjoyed it. It never loses the cheesiness or OTT acting, but the scripts start using that in its favour. Keen to see what the next season brings.
Kervyn Cloete
October 15, 2013 at 17:17
Yeah, I felt the same about the pilot episode. Actually gave up on it midway thru. But then went back and gave it a second chance. By episode 3 I was completely hooked.
NecroRince
October 15, 2013 at 11:33
My boet was telling me how 3 of his friends were approached and offered an extra R10,000 to show their boobs 🙂
James Francis
October 15, 2013 at 12:02
This is why I love Starz…
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 15, 2013 at 16:35
Why don’t I ever get people walking up to me demanding to see my boobs? Even a Banana could do with an extra R10 000 in the bank.
James Francis
October 15, 2013 at 12:03
So did Spartacus go bad or not? Many told me that season 2 eventually picks up and season 3 is well worth it.
GeoffChisnall
October 15, 2013 at 14:49
Spartacus is one of my favourite series of all time <3
Kervyn Cloete
October 15, 2013 at 17:20
Season 2 was pretty decent, as it introduced Gannacus, who is a total bastard. Season 3 started ok, although Liam McIntyre was a poor replacement for Andy Whitfield as Spartacus, but then soon it all went to crap. By the time the last season rolled around, it was just painful to watch. I only stomached it due to wanting to see how they wrapped up certain plot points.
Skyblue
October 16, 2013 at 09:37
With you on this. Andy Whitfield was a huge loss for the show and the only reason I watched until the end was to see if they would pay homage to him and they did 🙂
At least their were enough limbs hacked off and softcore porn to break the boredom. Walking Dead reminds me a lot of this show for some reason (probably the boredom).