The script for the upcoming McG directed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea remake was originally written by Bill Marsilii (Deja Vu) and Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li). But today we learn from The Hollywood Reporter that Oscar-nominated screenwriter Randall Wallace (Braveheart, Pearl Harbor), has been brought on to rewrite Disney’s update of the classic Jules Verne tale.
|
|
THR reports that Wallace’s rewrite aims to focus (the newly titled) Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on:
“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.”
A lesser-known sequel to Nemo was later written by Jules Verne called The Mysterious Island, which revealed Captain Nemo as an Indian Prince who took part in a rebellion and lost his wife and children. It is currently unknown just how close Disney will stick to this character backstory (if they do at all), but Wallace’s rewrite will reportedly make the film “decidedly action-adventure.”
With the success Disney has had with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, I am not surprised that’s the route they want to take with Nemo…
With the type of story that the original 20,000 Leagues is, I can definitely see the appeal for Disney to turn it into a modern day big-budget action-adventure movie. The issues with Hollywood remaking yet another project aside, 20,000 Leagues has both the decades-old story and the modern-day special effects to merge together. I can see this one being a big hit at the box-office if it’s done right.
There’s no word on WHY Wallace was brought on to rewrite Nemo, so that just leaves us all to speculate.
Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is currently in pre-production and doesn’t have a release date as of yet.
Sources: THR (via FirstShowing)
Loading ...
7 Comments
Great, another classic tale for McG to butcher. What’s next? Will Ferrell as Captain Nemo? This should just be left alone.
Surely we must be 20,000 leagues under the sea by now!!!
We aren’t and don’t call me Shirley.
If you pay money to see this film, your part of the problem.
@Andy S,
Nice!
Disney wants its own ‘avengers’-project with this. First 20.000 Leagues Under The Sea (which stands for the number of miles underwater, not depth), then The Mysterious Island, which will be released around the same time as Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and then they will do a reboot of The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen…
They should never make 20,000 Leagues lighthearted. It is a psychological thriller, with a sympathetic villain. The fact is that Captain Nemo is a terrorist. They should make it a two or maybe a trilogy like the books, mainly 20,000 Leauges and Mysteroius Island (In search of the Castaways isn’t as exciting.) I would love to see the Nemo fight the shark like in the book or the cannibles when they hunt on land.
PS. I’ve been waiting long for an ending similar to the book.
Yepp. I am a die-heard Jules Verne fan.
What's your opinion? Leave a Reply!
Go to Gravatar.com and upload your own (we'll wait)!