David Fincher can officially do no wrong. I appreciate that other opinions may be available, but his resumé is frankly astonishing. Seven, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, The Game, The Social Network, Benjamin Button. What we’ve seen so far of his re-working of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo looks mightily impressive as well.

Impatient lot that we are, talk quickly turns to next projects and although he has a lot of irons in the fire, Fincher may next turn his attention to a remake of Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, itself based on a Jules Verne novel about one Captain Nemo and his futuristic proto-submarine the Nautilus. The original film was most celebrated at the time for the impressive finale, with a giant squid doing battle with the Nautilus, though as we might expect, those effects have since become exceedingly dated. Quite what Fincher will do with the material is anyone’s guess.

Tone-wise, an interesting dimension is that Andrew Kevin Walker (who scripted Fincher’s “Seven” and cameoed as a neighbour in Panic Room) looks set to work on the script and although he has never returned to the high water mark of Seven, his work since has remained within the horror/gothic milieu (The Wolfman, Sleepy Hollow, 8mm), which would surely mean a departure from the none-more-Disney stylings of the original.

Fincher may sign up for a reworking of Cleopatra instead, though either way this is going to wind up as a second remake on the trot for him, which seems unusual for so individualistic and unique a director. We will let you know as soon as we do. In the meantime, check out the trailer below for the original 20,000 Leagues. Can you see Fincher doing this?

Source: Deadline.

The word from Cannes is that Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville is set to star in Shoreline Entertainment’s reworking of the Captain Nemo character, under the direction of Pearry Teo (Witchville in China).

Last seen jumping the shark in Stephen Norrington’s infamous (but unconnected) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Captain Nemo will team up with President Ulysses Grant to challenge the evil genius responsible for numerous naval disasters in a unofficial steampunked sequel to Jules Verne’s classic novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

Teo will reteam with producer Amy Krell for the project, the two having previously worked together for the SyFy Channel. Shoreline Entertainment’s founder and CEO Morris Ruskin will executive produce alongside Asia Bridge’s Steve Chicorel.

Titled Captain Nemo, and set for a 3D release, this is not the only vehicle for the character on the horizon, with David Fincher flirting with an adaptation of the original novel for Disney.

Variety are reporting today that Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a project that had Terminator: Salvation helmer McG attached as director, has been shelved indefinitely by Disney (full story here). It seems they are concentrating instead on other projects such as Pirates of the Caribbean 4, a director for which was announced earlier today (read our story here).

Probably the most interesting aspect of this story, for me at least, was that Will Smith was rumoured to be attached to play the lead. In itself not all that strange, but just last week the proposed Old Boy remake, again starring Smith, with Steven Speilberg attached, was also reported to be collapsing. IMDB lists 25 projects in development for Smith, including sequels for Hancock and I Am Legend, but as yet nothing is in production. Considering Smith hasn’t appeared on the big screen since last year’s Seven Pounds, why is one of the most bankable lead men in Hollywood not being put to work? Too expensive, or is he just taking a break?

Bazmann