An excerpt from my script review for What Could Have Been: Captain Nemo origin story which will be available 02/19/24:
1.) Marketability of the Idea
Did you know Disney+ was rebooting 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in the form of a Captain Nemo origin series called Nautilus?
Neither did I.
Apparently the idea of a reboot has been a constant discussion at the House of Mouse for some time now.
Here’s more info.
Not entirely sure who McG is either?
Nope, I was with you thinking it was some “one hit wonder” Irish rapper, and maybe we weren’t too far off.
Some folks are nervous that this project, like other recent Disney reboots or sequels, might be a dud, and I can’t say they’re wrong based on the latest track record.
One thing that doesn’t bode well is that Disney backed out and the project will now be distributed through AMC.
But let’s swing back to the idea of a reboot, or even an origin like what we’re reviewing today.
Part of me loved the 1954 Disney film, but mainly just aboard the sub and under the sea.
As a kid I remember being bored with the overall story, but as I grew up, my next encounter with Captain Nemo was The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen where he was just as mysterious and the Nautilus a bit more robust.
Would I want to know more? Certainly, if done properly, meaning “not gimmicky” since I only read a kid’s version of the original when doing a book report in middle school.
The one similarity the produced project and this unproduced version seem to share is the setting of occupied India by the English.
There’s “good” material there for drama, and certainly something that can be mined to make for an enjoyable story that feeds into the “sequel”.
Not to mention we’re now coming to terms with what that whole “colonization” notion did to multiple cultures around the world.
Producers would definitely be interested in taking a look.
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