New Disney movie chief pulls plug on costly 'Captain Nemo'

UPDATED:

In one of his first major creative moves as Walt Disney Studios' new movie chief, Rich Ross has made the costly decision to pull the plug on the planned $150-million production of "Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" -- the last project approved by his predecessor, Dick Cook.

The family adventure movie -- a high priority for Disney that the
studio envisioned as potential franchise along the lines of the
"Pirates of The Caribbean" -- was scheduled to begin shooting in
February in Mexico. Disney had already spent about $10 million hiring crews, who were prepping the movie and planning to build
elaborate sets in Rosarito Beach. Artwork and construction of
models were already underway.

Just a few weeks ago, Disney spent generously to hire writer Michael Chabon to quickly rewrite the script. The studio had recruited Chabon, author of "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," to rework "Nemo" after he had recently written a draft of its forthcoming production "John Carter of Mars," the first live-action film to be directed by Pixar Animation Studios director Andrew Stanton.

The "Captain Nemo" project is one of many under evaluation by Ross and his boss, Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger, since Cook's ouster in mid-September.

One person close to the filmmakers of “Nemo” said that in recent weeks Iger and Ross had signaled that they had serious reservations about moving forward with the project.

In a meeting Monday with "Captain Nemo" director McG and producer Sean Bailey, Ross told them that the project was being halted. While neither McG nor Bailey returned calls, people familiar with their thinking said the duo was disappointed with the decision.

According to one person familiar with the situation, Ross made the decision based on creative concerns and plans to redevelop the movie, a new adaptation of Jules Vernes' classic novel, which the studio first brought to the big screen in 1954.

The news was first reported in Variety.

--Claudia Eller and Dawn C. Chmielewski

Photo: James Mason as Captain Nemo in Disney's 1954 version of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Credit: Wide World Photo.

Comments

[bob]

As it should have been.

the Original Script was FAR superior to the dreck that McG commissioned and theat they then hired Chabon to repair.

Go back to Mr. Marsilli's ORIGINAL script that half of Hollywood read AND LOVED.

McG is the idiot who ANNOUNCED he wanted to cast Will Smith BEFORE even talking to Smith. Then, he commissioned a HORRBLE rewrite that doomed the project.

What actor would have taken that gig once that Smith said "Hell Naw!"

Unreal.
A pre-quel would have been cool, but at least Disney is admitting it screwed the whole thing up, AFTER snapping up the exciting original script.

[Chadimus]

McG = Stop making movies. Otherwise we'll put you in a boat with Richard Kelley and put you out to sea.

That is all.

[Cyborg Superman]

McG's Terminator Salvation was a letdown and his track record is hit-or-miss. If they're looking to create a franchise it's understandable why they'd shy away from moving further with this project. Salvation was a horrible springboard to a proposed trilogy so why risk financing the picture when they can shelve it until it can be done right (if at all). I'm sure Disney can find use for the sets pieces and props in their parks for the time being.

[blujay]

Marsilli's draft was UNREADABLE DRECK ... boring ... snorefest ... ugh.

[dascha]

Love the photo... Though, ironically, looks eerily similar to The Great Stalacpipe Organ in Luray, Va. Maybe Disney should do a low-budget re-make of THE GREAT LOCO-MOTIVE RACE instead. ;)

[Cal Godot]

Well, at least it's one less steaming pile of celluloid crap from McG. That hack could ruin even a brilliant Michael Chabon script.

[JAKE]

If they really want to do this film, they should do it for 50 million with a fantastic (and inexpensive) CHARACTER actor in the lead and the Wachowski brothers directing (or Tim Burton).
The original Disney made great low budget fare aimed at families.
The Eisner Era Disney made good low-medium budget fair aimed at families. They need to return to their roots, and get out of the bigger, bigger, biggest business.
Hopefully Disney will make Five 30 million dollar films instead.
The quicker they start placing their bets on numerous medium sized projects as opposed to one gigantic gamble, the quicker the next High School Musical franchise can be discovered. It ain't all about the box office bragging rights.

[Pat Doo]

Seriously? More high school musicals? There are some of us who are willing to take our kids to Pixar movies...occasionally, but no more tween slock! Keep that on TV and give those of us with taste an interesting twist on a classic like Nemo. The idea was awesome!

[JAKE]

@pat doo: I'm not against Nemo, or even for High School musical.
I'm for more reasonable productions that employ more people and have a even to good chance of making a solid profit. YOU may hate HSM, but I doubt you are the audience that it's intended for. YOU may be sophisticated and beyond it's simple pleasures, but there are millions of tweens that are not.
We're talking about DISNEY here.
FYI: I'd gladly take a ton more tween crap than the torture porn that others churn out constantly. You can't even escape the billboards for that dreck.