Leagues Lagging...

It appears the Nautilus has been delayed from submerging again...

David Fincher's remake/reinterpretation of the classic Walt Disney Picture: "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" has hit another snag.  The current plan was to start shooting the picture down under late summer/fall of this year, but now the production has been pushed back until 2014.  The postponing of shooting means that the film would now likely get a late 2015/early 2016 release if the production doesn't experience another delay.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports the Mouse has decided to put off production since casting issues have resulted in no desirable actor to play the lead, Ned Land.  Brad Pitt was being courted by Fincher, but he eventually decided to pass on the part.  Reports that the part was being offered to Channing Tatum has not resulted in any commitments (thankfully, yeck).

The production has encountered several delays, but was supposed to be the directors next film following "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", but Fincher has several other films he's connected to.  If the schedule slips further he could board the helming duties of several properties.  Hopefully they'll get a lead that assuages the fears of Alan Horn and his Disney Suits and the green light will be given

This project has been waterlogged for too long...

20,000 Leagues Before A Remake...

Fifty-six years ago today Walt Disney's take on Jules Verne...

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" came out in 1954 and was a huge hit for Disney. It showed his daring in willing to gamble on projects that could be financially ruining for his beloved Walt Disney Production. If this had failed, his other big project may have had to be shelved or possibly sold off in bits and pieces. That project was scheduled to open up the following year. What was it? Disneyland.

Now there are plans at work to remake the adaptation of the classic Verne novel with David Fincher at the helm. It'll be interesting to see Fincher's take on the story and what different direction Scott Z. Burns' script will take the film in.

Developing...

20K 2.0...

At first, I was looking at the calendar thinking this was an awfully late April Fool's joke...

Holy crap! It appears the Mouse has been quietly working behind the scenes on a reboot of their reboot of the "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" project. Gone is McG as the director. Gone are the drafts by Bill Marsilli, Justin Marks and Randall Wallace. All their versions are to be swept away and given to someone totally unexpected.

According to The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog, David Fincher is in talks to helm the remake/re-imagined take on the tale of Captain Nemo. Scott Z. Burns, who's written "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Contagion," and "The Informant!" is working on the screenplay which will be in the vein of "Star Wars" or "The Empire Strikes Back." Consider me interested, I had no problem with the original screenwriters who worked on this, particularly Randall Wallace, but I have no faith in McG touching something like this. He's a poor man's Michael Bay, and coming from me, that ain't saying something complimentary. But I'm now going to be watching this project with much more enthusiasm.

Now, please don't let Will Smith's name become associated with this...