A reimagining of Jules Verne’s classic underwater adventure 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is heading to Disney+ in a new 10-part live-action series.
Unveiled on Monday, Nautilus, produced by U.K. banners Moonriver TV and All3Media-owned Seven Stories, is set to give the famed 19th century novel a new spin, telling the origin story of Captain Nemo and his legendary submarine, the Nautilus. An Indian prince robbed of his birthright and family, a prisoner of the East India Company and a man bent on revenge against the forces that have taken everything from him, Nemo set sail with his ragtag crew on board the awe-inspiring vessel, battling foes and discovering magical underwater worlds.
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It’s not the first time Disney has dipped its toe into Verne’s tale, with 1954 film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea famously starring James Mason as Nemo and Kirk Douglas as monster-harpooner Ned Land.
Developed and co-produced by Moonriver TV’s Xavier Marchand and Seven Stories’ Anand Tucker, Nautilus is written and executive produced by James Dormer (Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands) and executive produced by Johanna Devereaux, director of scripted original content for EMEA at Disney+. Filming is set to start in early 2022.
“Jules Verne’s story is a beloved classic all around the world,” said Devereaux. “It’s a huge privilege to bring the Nautilus and her crew to life again in such a bold, exciting way, with a diverse team of creative talent and onscreen characters. The series will be breathtaking, action-packed and a huge amount of fun.”
First unveiled by Devereaux from the 2021 Edinburgh TV Festival, Nautilus adds another notch on the growing European slate for Disney+, which last year said it was targeting 50 productions commissioned from the continent by 2024. Having announced 13 titles from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands earlier in 2021, alongside a new unscripted series with David Beckham, the platform is already nearing a third of this target.
Alongside Nautilus, Disney used the Edinburgh TV Festival to make casting announcements on two of its previously unveiled Disney+ productions.
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett — soon to be seen in the Jordan Peele-produced Candyman reboot — is to take the lead in U.K. Star original Culprits, a darkly comic heist series from exec producer Stephen Garrett (The Undoing, The Night Manager) and filmmaker J Blakeson (I Care a Lot, The Disappearance of Alice Creed).
Meanwhile, Alita: Battle Angel star Rosa Salazar will lead another U.K. Star original, the rom-com action-thriller Wedding Season. The genre-busting series about two people who shouldn’t be together, but who can’t stay away from one another, begins production later this month and will be shooting in Scotland, Manchester, London and Las Vegas.
