A new 10-part live-action reimagining of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is heading to Disney+.
The series titled Nautilus will be produced by Moonriver TV and All3Media-owned Seven Stories. The new series will tell the origin story of Captain Nemo and his iconic submarine The Nautilus.
Disney did its own version of the Jules Verne tale back in 1954 starring James Mason and Kirk Douglas. Nautilus is written and executive produced by James Dormer (Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands) and is executive produced by Johanna Devereaux, director of scripted original content for EMEA at Disney+.
“Anything that we do under the Disney banner really has to stand up against Marvel, and Lucas and all the amazing content,” Devereaux said at the Edinburgh TV Festival. “It’s about finding a contemporary voice, a contemporary point of view, by diversifying our stories and by really inclusive storytelling.”
And, it looks like Devereaux might’ve found a story that can compete on the scale of Marvel and Lucasfilm in Nautilus.
“Jules Verne’s story is a beloved classic all around the world,” said Devereaux at the festival. “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 on-screen characters. The series will be breathtaking, action-packed and a huge amount of fun.”
Nautilus adds another compelling series to the list of European Disney+ productions. Disney+ announced 13 titles from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands earlier in 2021.
This seems like it can be the first localized Disney+ original content to make it to America outside of Bluey. The Disney EMEA content team has many other series in development but outside of Nautilus, these two stand out as potential series that could thrive on Disney+ in America. Sally Wainwright’s project The Ballad of Renegade Nell isabout an 18th-century highwaywoman with special powers. Extraordinary is a comedy about the only normal person in a world of superheroes. Nautilus, The Ballad of Renegade Nell, and Extraordinary sound like three great originals.
The filming of the series is slated to begin in early 2022.
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
