Dreamworks studios know a good thing when they see it, and they see that kids love pirates, so they’re giving us more pirates — this time in the form of a biographical movie on the life and times of British buccaneer Edward Teach, who would become notorious over time as the infamous pirate Blackbeard. The movie is being produced by Barry Josephson and, get this, former 76ers owner Pat Croce, who wrote a book about pirates called “Pirate Soul”.

David Franzoni, no stranger to historical epics, will pen the script for Dreamworks. Franzoni’s previous credits include the slave movie “Amistad” and the Russell Crowe crowd-pleaser “Gladiator”. No director has been attached as of yet.

Variety has more:

Idea for the project was hatched when Josephson enlisted Croce to make a cameo in his 2002 basketball pic “Like Mike.” Croce, who also penned the upcoming kids book “My Pop-Pop Is a Pirate,” waited until December 2006 to send Josephson a treatment for the film. The pair brought aboard Franzoni, who began working on the pitch after the writers strike ended.

Pat Croce really, really likes pirates. Besides writing the book about pirates, and producing this movie, he actually owns a pirate museum in Key West, Florida. I kid you not.

Below, an engraving of the real Blackbeard: