Sci-Fi Film and Television Developments

Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

11/17/09 - Disney has put Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in dry dock, according to Variety.  The picture, tentatively scheduled to begin production in February, has been halted indefinitely, and McG is no longer steering the ship.  The studio confirmed that it won't proceed with the film for now, and reps for the director confirmed he has withdrawn. No cast was ever set.

7/8/09 - Disney is bringing in writer Randall Wallace to rewrite Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a new movie based on the classic Jules Verne novel. McG will direct.  The Hollywood Reporter says that Wallace will rewrite the script previously drafted by Bill Marsilii and Justin Marks.  Nemo aims to tell the origin of Captain Nemo and his submarine warship, the Nautilus. Nemo is a mysterious but noble antagonist in the book, a scientific genius with a thirst for knowledge and a desire for revenge against the forces of imperialism.  The original 1954 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was the first live-action film made by Walt Disney, who famously bet his studio on the movie, best remembered for the giant squid scene. It became the second-highest-grossing film that year and won three Oscars.

5/5/09 – SCI FI Wire reported that director McG said Dwayne Johnson is not set to star in his upcoming remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  McG said he's never spoken with Johnson and had actually offered the lead role to another genre favorite, Will Smith.  About his next film, he said, “Well, I'm a big fan of Jules Verne, and what he was doing in the mid-19th century in France I think speaks to what the world is experiencing today: the notion of power that can be destructive and wonderful. In that respect it's an allegory for nuclear power, but it's also my attempt to tip my cap to Raiders of the Lost Ark. ‘He who holds the ark will lead an army that can't be defeated.’"

5/4/09 - Dwayne Johnson has been cast in director McG's remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, according to Production Weekly.  The newsletter lists the film's status as "Active Development" and also provides the following synopsis for what is currently being called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo.  The story begins with the mystery of an underwater 'beast' that has been stalking boats, taking bites out of them, and leaving them to sink to the bottom of the sea. Ned is reluctantly recruited by an old army buddy to hunt the beast. He's joined by Aronnax, a scientist and Julie. They go out looking for this beast and eventually find it. But the beast is not a beast at all ... it's a super tricked out mega submarine called The Nautilus, captained by Nemo, who takes them captive and brings them back to a secret Volcano City. There they learn that Nemo is searching for a lost underwater civilization that holds libraries of vast knowledge and a weapon with the power to destroy mankind.

2/12/09 - Justin Marks has come on board to rewrite Disney's remake 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo, which McG will direct, Variety reported.  The reboot will serve as an origin story for Nemo as he creates his warship, the Nautilus. The film is based on characters from the Jules Verne novel and the 1954 film, which was the first live-action film made by Walt Disney.   The studio is fast-tracking the project, which will be McG's next after completing Terminator Salvation.

1/15/09 – SCI FI Wire reported that McG, who will direct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo, a reworking of the Jules Verne novel, said he will look to the source material for his story and also reference Verne's other classic SF adventure tales, such as Mysterious Island.  The director added that his version of the Nautilus would definitely be influenced by Harper Goff's design for the iconic submarine, as seen in Disney's 1954 movie.  "I'm attracted to the character and the prospect of telling that story in a world with visual effects," McG said. "So you add those two together, it seems like a great idea."  It's expected that McG will tackle Captain Nemo as his next film.

1/7/09 – Disney has set McG to direct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo, a family film that is being fast-tracked by the studio, Variety reported.  McG most recently helmed Terminator: Salvation. Sean Bailey (Tron) is producing with McG's Wonderland Sound and Vision.  Scripted by Bill Marsilli, the film is an origin story of Nemo as he creates his warship, the Nautilus. The characters come from the Jules Verne novel.  The 1954 original 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was the first live-action film made by Walt Disney, who famously bet his studio on the movie, best remembered for the giant squid scene.

AlienAlmanac.com 2009