Bryan Singer to direct new 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea film

By Ryan Waniata September 17, 2015

bryan singer 20000 leagues under the sea script instagram — Scene from 1954's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Image used with permission by copyright holder

“The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence.”

That’s the great Jules Verne in his masterfully crafted sci-fi odyssey, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which appears to be making its way, once again, to the silver screen.

With a simple snapshot on Instagram today, director Bryan Singer of X-Men fame announced to the world that he has just finished a script for the new film, which he plans to direct.

There have been plenty of big and small screen adaptations featuring Captain Nemo and his captors aboard his fantastical undersea vessel, the Nautilus. But despite the tiresome siege of reboots, revamps, and new adaptations that have plagued Hollywood as of late, it seems the time is ripe for a modern version of Verne’s classic underwater adventure.

After all, the last Nemo we saw on the big screen was in the form of a little orange fish. And coupling the CGI wonders of today’s top effects studios with the iconic tale might very well make for cinematic gold.

While Singer is still neck deep in the X-Men universe, with X-Men: Apocalypse set to debut May 27 and talk of an X-Men crossover pic with the Fantastic Four (as per Variety), the director seems to be a big fan of the Verne classic. Under a picture of the script, Singer wrote the following:

It’s my 50th birthday (ouch), and I just put the finishing touches on the script for my next film. A story I’ve wanted to retell since childhood. I promise this will be an epic and emotional adventure for all ages! An adventure very dear to my heart. Not abandoning the #xmen universe. Very excited about #xmenapocalypse and beyond. #julesverne #20000leaguesunderthesea #nemo

As detailed in his birthday post above, Singer promised fans the new film won’t hinder future plans for the X-Men franchise, but it’s clear the director is looking to branch out from his comic book bread and butter. And, if he can stay true to the core of the story that makes Leagues one of Verne’s best-loved adventures, this may well be the perfect project for an X-Men sabbatical.

There’s no known studio attached to the project as of yet, but you can bet this will likely be a hot ticket if it hasn’t already been snatched up. Stay tuned as more details emerge.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…

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