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.
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 a movie best remembered for the giant squid scene. It became the second-highest grossing film that year and won three Oscars. Captain Nemo played by James Mason and Ned Land by Kirk Douglas.
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 oceans during the late 1860-92s are no longer safe; many ships have been lost. Sailors have returned to port with stories of a vicious narwhal (a giant whale with a long horn) which sinks their ships. A naturalist, Professor Aronnax, his assistant, Conseil, and a professional whaler, Ned Land, join an US expedition which attempts to unravel the mystery.
McG, who most recently helmed “Terminator Salvation,” had multiple studios vying for his next slot. Disney hopes to make the film this year, before McG returns to helm a “Terminator Salvation” sequel for Warner Bros.
