It looks like Bryan Singer is the one to finally get the Nautilus out of drydock. After years and a number of different creative types trying, a big screen adaptation of the classic Jules Verne novel 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is finally getting underway with X-Men franchise director Singer at the helm.
Deadline is reporting that 20th Century Fox has finalized their deal with the director and that pre-production is currently under way with an eyed production start date for the fall. Deadline quotes the director –
I’m incredibly excited to be working with my friends at Fox, with whom I’ve had such a long and fruitful relationship… Ever since I was a boy and first discovered the 1870 Jules Verne novel, I have dreamt of retelling this classic story. Without revealing too much, it contains not only the original characters of Captain Nemo, Ned Land and Professor Aronnax, but also some new and original characters and Sci Fi plot twists culminating in a timeless adventure for all ages.
Fox is putting a lot on this film. Singer launched and directed the best received installments of the studio’s X-Men franchise and they are looking to him to do the same for them with this film. The only question is if there is an audience for the film. Was the collective box office shrug that recently met both In The Heart Of The Sea and The Finest Hours suggest that ticket buyers aren’t interested in adventure stories set on the high seas or was it just those particular stories they weren’t interested in?
