It remains the case that after David Fincher completes his upcoming Dragon Tattoo adaptation (the trailer for which I watch on a weekly basis– that Immigrant Song cover, man..), the director will be moving on to another adaptation, this time taking on a much more time-tested classic; 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.
Word today though, is that he might not be all that concerned with sticking to the text…
These details actually come from screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, who is out on the town discussing Contagion, to which he also put his talented pen. CinemaBlend got him talking about the project and his approach to adapting the novel, which apparently involved not really adapting it all and instead simply being inspired by it and the characters. Specifying that little of the plot will be pulled from the book, he did assure them that this wasn’t going to entirely dismiss the prose from which it pulls…
“David and I had a really cool idea for the relationship between Nemo, and Aronnax and Land… That’s really what we kind of got into. But I think it’s very, very true to the spirit of the book.”
Burns should have a strong idea exactly what’s up with the story, since he’s done with the script, and simply waiting for Fincher to wrap up The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. If he makes anything like the transition he pulled from The Social Network, it will be a nearly immediate shift from one to the other, so work on pre-vis (which will be extensive for a movie Fincher has said would be up to 70% CGI) and casting will roll fast.
It’s worth nothing that Burns also mentions The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a project that will have Soderbergh playing with spy comedy. The online world made it news today that Clooney will not be starring in the film, as he’s long been associated with it rather informally (often reported back when the now debunked-as-overblown rumors of Soderbergh’s imminent retirement where a thing). Regardless, that script is also complete and presumably ready for Soderbourgh to push forward with once he’s done with his Contagion duties.
twitter, comments, boards — got thoughts on Fincher and how much fidelity he should maintain with Verne’s text?
(via /Film)
4 comments
Fincher is making 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA?!
Thrilled. Absolutely thrilled.
It would be great if Fincher’s version was based on that old SNL skit with Kelsey Grammar as Nemo.
once Soderbergh’s done with his cinematic odyssey documenting Channing Tatum’s stripper years*
Captain Nemo! We demand to know where we are!
First Mate: Yesss.. and where are you taking usss?
Captain Nemo: Gentlemen, you are aboard this ship… – Nautilus.
Mr. Land: So, Captain.. you’re telling us this steel monster can travel underwater?
Captain Nemo: That is correct, Mr. Land. All stations ready? Prepare for diving. We shall travel.. 20,000 leagues.. under the sea!
[ cut to later in the journey, as the crew is underwater ]
Professor: She is be-eauty-ful!
First Mate: Oh, yessss!
Captain Nemo: I knew you would enjoy it.
Mr. Land: So now we’re really 20,000 leagues under the sea?
Captain Nemo: Well, actually, no, that’s a bit of a misnomer. I misspoke. A league is actually a measure of distance traveled, and not a measure of depth, you see.
But, Captain, we’re so deep! Surely, we must be 20,000 leagues under the sea by now!
First Mate: Yesss. 20,000 leaguesss! Under the sea!
Captain Nemo: Well, no. As I said before, I misspoke, you see. I should have said.. fathoms. Fathoms are what you use to measure depth! Fathoms, not leagues!
Professor: And so, we are 20,000 fathoms under the sea?
Captain Nemo: Yes. But, I mean.. I mean no. No. We could be. But right now, we’re just about, uh.. 200 fathoms beneath the sea.
Mr. Land: Oh, I get it. So 200 fathoms equals 20,000 leagues under the sea?
Captain Nemo: No! No! now, look, I was obviously wrong to have ever even mentioned 20,000 leagues nder the sea. I simply meant that we would traveling a total distance of 20,000 leagues – lengthwise, while we happen to be underwater.
Mr. Land: So you’re saying we’re 20,000 leagues underwater, under the sea?
First Mate: 20,000 leaguessss! That’s pretty deep, Captain!
Captain Nemo: Oh, let’s start over. Could you habd me that globe over there, please? [ globe is handed to him ] A league is just about.. three nautical miles, you see. So, 20,000 leagues would be, say, three times around the circumference of the Earth – or, 16,000 miles! so you couldn’t go 20,000 leagues under the sea, or you’d come right out the other end, and that’s impossible!
Professor: Ah, yes! So we are going to the center of the Earth!
Mr. Land: 20,000 leagues under the sea to the center of the Earth!
Group: Ahhhhh!!
rest is here:
http://snltranscripts.jt.org/93/93qleagues.phtml
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