If you cast your mind-net back to last September, you may be familiar with the news that Bryan Singer announced via Instagram that he was moving ahead with his adaptation of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. It should come as no huge surprise that the film has found a home with one of Singer's regular studio stomping grounds, 20th Century Fox.
The film, which is still largely under wraps, has a script by Rick Sordelet and Dan Studney that will bring another version of the adventures of temperamental Captain Nemo and his giant sub the Nautilus to the screen. “I’m incredibly excited to be working with my friends at Fox, with whom I’ve had such a long and fruitful relationship,” Singer says in a statement. “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.”
With a studio backing him, Singer can get on with the nitty gritty of setting the film up: locking down locations and soundstage space and finding a cast. The cameras should be rolling in the autumn.
First, however, Singer has to get his latest work, X-Men: Apocalypse out into the world. The latest mutant adventure has a May 19 release in its sights for the UK, before heading to the States on May 27.