by Jonathan Klotz
| Published
When I went to Disney World as a kid, 20,000 leagues under the sea It was my favorite ride, and for 20 minutes, an eternity compared to modern theme park rides, I was able to live out my childhood dream of sailing with Captain Nemo on the Nautilus. The ride was discontinued in 1994 and replaced by Little mermaid. It's now been 30 years, and Jules Verne's classic novel still isn't in Disney parks, and what's worse is that it has yet to get a modern cinematic adaptation despite being the novel that helped launch the entire science fiction genre.
The book that popularized science fiction
Jules Verne 20,000 leagues under the sea It was a huge success upon release in 1869 when it was first published as a serial, and then again in 1871, when an illustrated version reached libraries around the world. As with most classic science fiction works, Verne took a futuristic perspective on submarines when he created Captain Nemo's advanced Nautilus submarine which he used to terrorize shipping lanes. However, given Nemo's motivations as a pure man of science and a lover of nature, Verne inadvertently created the first eco-terrorist.
On the surface, the novel is Science fiction Adventure, but dig a little deeper, and you'll find references to the political turmoil of the time, the impact of the Industrial Revolution, and how the natural world became forever distorted. 20,000 leagues under the sea There's a lot going on beneath the surface, but instead of making it difficult to adapt, it will help make it easy and relevant even today, nearly 150 years after it was first published.. This makes it even more surprising that the last time someone turned the novel into a movie was 70 years ago.
The last major film adaptation
20,000 leagues under the sea, Released in 1954 by Walt Disneystarring Kirk Douglas as the harpooner Ned Land, and George Mason, one of classic Hollywood's leading men, as Captain Nemo, was a smash hit, and while box office numbers were hard to come by at the time, estimates are that about 8 million were earned. Millions of dollars. In four years, or $91 million if adjusted for inflation. This puts it at nearly double joker 2 Domestic box office gross.
Mix parts of Mysterious islandthe underappreciated sequel to the original novel, 20,000 leagues under the seathe film is still, to 1954 sensibilities at least, an adaptation of the pioneering story. Nemo's rough edges and nihilism are somewhat softened, but Mason does a great job with the complex character who is both a hero and a villain, depending on who you ask. \
Nautilus means well but falls short
Although there has been no modern film adaptation, which is inconsequential given the success of the 1954 film, it was adapted by the BBC 20,000 leagues under the sea For the new series NautilusHe means well and acts admirably, but he misses the mark. The modern series is an origin story for Nemo and the famous submariner, altering his book's origins as a fallen Indian prince to make him a slave under the employ of the East India Company, the villain who went on his 19th-century maritime adventures.
Instead of being a man of science who considers himself above the turmoil of the human world, Nemo plays himself. Star Trek:discovery Shazad Latif, V Nautilus He sets out to seek revenge on the British company, which mostly succeeds, but again, it's not really Nemo. He's a haunted and broken man, but as a huge fan of the 1954 film and the original novel, there's something missing that, because it's a prequel, that could be intentional, and at least someone is trying to tell that story today, even if it deserves a bigger stage.
We need an IMAX scene
Imagine a huge success 20,000 leagues under the sea Playing on IMAX a screen. All the incredible underwater scenery of the Pacific combined with the sheer terror of giant squid in the deep waters, the storms on the surface, and the sparkling tropical islands in the ocean, it's a story that needs to be told as fully as possible. We deserve a new version of Jules Verne's groundbreaking story that finally fulfills his original vision.
