This new Netflix series starring Ed Westwick and John Hannah is a throwback to classic pirate movies – here are 3 of the cast’s guilty pleasures

When you think of fictional pirates in cinema, few names crop up more than Captain Hook and Jack Sparrow. But what if I told there's an even more famous mythical swashbuckler who's appeared in more than 10 major movie and TV adaptations since the 1940s?

Italian author Emilio Salgari first introduced the legendary Sandokan, aka the Tiger of Malaya, in a series of novels published in the late 1800s. Those stories have inspired several screen outings with the iconic character over the decades, including a cult 1976 television series of the eponymous hero that has since been remade by Italian production company, Lux Vide.

Releasing all eight episodes on Netflix in the US and UK on January 19 (it already premiered in Italy in December 2025, but the Australian licensing rights have yet to be confirmed), Sandokan is a new reimagining that revisits the classic action-adventure tale of a castaway prince seeking revenge against British colonial rule.

Can Yaman stars as the titular hero, with Ed Westwick playing the villainous Lord James Brooke and Alanah Bloor as the heroine Lady Marianna Guillonk, who are all part of an entangled love triangle. John Hannah, meanwhile, takes on the supporting role of Sergeant Murray, Brooke's ally in the pursuit of Sandokan.

Speaking to the cast ahead of the show’s global release, Westwick, Bloor and Hannah all agreed it was the enduring appeal of Salgari’s cult classic story that drew them to the project.

"When I first met [the directors] Jan [Maria Michelini] and Nicola [Abbatangelo], they were describing the story and showing me their art and mood boards," Hannah said. "The influences, like the photography of Sebastião Salgado and his images of mines, made it feel like more than a classic romp. They sold me on that world immediately, and I wanted to be part of it regardless of the character."

The The Mummy and Four Weddings and a Funeral actor described Sandokan as a "classic adventure romance with very modern sensibilities," noting that its themes still resonate today. "Even recently, when you look at the geopolitics of land grabs for minerals or oil, that’s exactly the crux of this story," he said.

For Westwick, who was initially drawn to the role because he felt an immediate connection to the character, the series has an undeniable pace. It's "go-go-go adventure and romance, all tied up in the mid-1800s in a whirlwind adventure," the White Gold and Gossip Girl actor said.

Bloor, meanwhile, sees the show as a "swashbuckling romance," summing it up as "secrets and lies exposed in a pirate-meets-princess family drama". While that all sounds like a dramatic sea-faring adventure, it's also a far cry from the pirate shows and films that the cast admits to rewatching most, though.

From Our Flag Means Death to Pirates of the Caribbean, here are the pirate movies and shows this Netflix cast can’t resist

While the Netflix series stays largely faithful to its dramatic roots, the cast of Sandokan admit that the show's earnest tone is very different to the pirate stories they love to rewatch.

"Pirates of the Caribbean," Westwick said without hesitation when asked about the movies and shows that shaped his love of the genre. He didn't specify which film from the series he likes most, but you can check out our ranking of every Pirates of the Caribbean movie instead.

"More recently, Our Flag Means Death," Bloor added. "It’s brilliant and adds complete humor to the world of pirates. It’s really sweet and a great watch. But of course, Pirates of the Caribbean. Also Hook. I loved Hook growing up."

Hannah, however, isn't so sure he's ever seen Pirates of the Caribbean. Instead, he pointed to a film he'd seen years ago called Scaramouche, a swashbuckling classic starring Stewart Granger. "I come from a generation where you watched whatever was on television on a Sunday afternoon," he said. "Rather than rewatching things again and again."

If you also don't want to watch all eight episodes of Sandokan on Netflix again and want a more light-hearted pirate show before One Piece season 2 returns in March, then you can stream all five Pirates of the Caribbean movies on Disney+ and both seasons of Our Flag Means Death on HBO Max. Meanwhile, Hook, which is one of the best Steven Spielberg movies, and Scaramouche aren't available to stream in the US at the time of writing.

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