David Fincher‘s professional journey is marked by innovative films that redefined artistic limits, spanning from “Fight Club” to “The Social Network.” Yet, one elusive endeavor was Disney’s reimagining of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” In a chat with Letterboxd, this esteemed director discussed the reasons behind his vision for Jules Verne’s 1870 novel not coming to fruition. He shared that disagreements in creativity with Disney made it impractical to bring the project to life.
In 1954, Disney unveiled its pioneering adaptation of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” a film that garnered two Academy Awards for its exceptional art direction and special effects. Starring Kirk Douglas and James Mason, this film introduced audiences to the enigmatic Captain Nemo and his state-of-the-art submarine, the Nautilus, marking one of Disney’s earliest successes in live-action productions. Later, during the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, a remake was announced, with director Fincher intending to base it on a script by Scott Z. Burns. However, by July 2013, following several challenges in casting and creative disagreements, Fincher decided to direct “Gone Girl” instead.
Fincher expressed that he had an intricate and daring plan for the project, stating, “I was really drawn to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, as our concept involved elements that were both disgusting and fascinating, wet, steampunk, and more.” However, it quickly became clear that balancing artistic creativity with commercial demands would be a challenge during development. “Disney was at a point where they were insisting, ‘We require something we can market from head to tail, and you’ll need to meet certain requirements for us,'” Fincher shared.
When Fincher objected to the underlying story’s themes, their disagreements intensified. “Have you read Jules Verne?” the director inquired. “This is a tale about an Indian prince who grapples with white imperialism, and that’s what we aim to portray.” Disney’s reply was significant: “Alright, alright, I get it. Just make sure there’s significantly less of that aspect in it.
When Disney refused to invest in Fincher’s concept, the director chose to leave the project behind. In his own words, “It’s impossible to make people get thrilled about the risks you find exciting.” However, there’s a bright side as Fincher eventually found fulfillment with another maritime endeavor, namely the “Bad Travelling” episode in the series Love, Death & Robots. As he stated, “I managed to do ‘Bad Travelling’ on Netflix, and that took care of my creative needs. I was content just doing that.
The Long Journey of Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Remake
The journey to recreate Disney’s 1954 masterpiece has faced numerous challenges. Initially, director McG was tied to the project in 2009, with Will Smith and Sam Worthington in contention for Captain Nemo’s role. However, this version didn’t pan out. Later, David Fincher took charge in 2010, working off a script by Scott Z. Burns. Eventually, Fincher grew weary of the project. ” frankly, I can’t make this work and I don’t want you to find out at the premiere that you’ve funded something that doesn’t make sense,” he said. “It doesn’t add up because it will just be an agonizing process for the next two years. And I don’t wish to endure that. I mean, life is too short.
After I departed, the remake of Captain Nemo faced more challenges during its production. For a brief moment, James Mangold was set to direct a movie titled Captain Nemo in 2016, but he eventually moved on to work on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. More recently, the property has been transformed into a television series named Nautilus, delving into Nemo’s backstory. Initially, Disney+ approved the project, but it was later scrapped as part of their cost-cutting measures. Eventually, AMC picked up the series and it premiered in October 2024.
Right now, you can stream the classic novel “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” on Disney+, and for those who are interested, they can watch director Fincher’s “Bad Traveling” episode from the series “Love, Death & Robots” on Netflix.
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2025-01-07 13:09