Director Bryan Singer, who last fall teased on Instagram his hope to direct his childhood favorite novel 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea in a new and exciting way, has now closed a deal with 20th Century Fox to make the epic film his next picture, according to a new report by Deadline.
The studio now is moving toward a fall production start, and Singer will begin casting, so expect news to drop quickly.
This adaptation of the Jules Verne novel has a script by Rick Sordelet and Dan Studney, based on a story by Singer and those writers. Singer will produce with Jason Taylor, who heads the director’s Bad Hat Harry Productions.
Singer has been integral to Fox, adapting their X-Men franchise to massive success and looks to see anther big box office draw with this summer’s X-Men: Apocalypse which is set for a May 27 release.
“That gives him the chance to launch the picture while prepping so that Captain Nemo can take his ship The Nautilus on its deep-sea dive in early fall. It gives Emma Watts another big picture on the slate,” Deadline
notes.
“I’m incredibly excited to be working with my friends at Fox, with whom I’ve had such a long and fruitful relationship,” he said. “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.”
Bryan SInger on the set of “X-Men: Days of Future Past”
