McG has his post-Terminator Salvation, and it’s not the expected Terminator 5 (barring box office disaster, WB has already decided to move on with that film) – it’s a prequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The film, which is fast tracked at Disney and called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo, tells the origin story of Captain Nemo and the building of his attack submarine The Nautilus.
Little of Nemo’s origin is given in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but Jules Verne’s sequel The Mysterious Island does give lots of background. Quoth Wikipedia: “[Nemo is] Prince Dakkar, the Hindu son of the Raja of Bundelkund. He was deeply antagonistic to the British Raj of India. After the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857, in which he lost his family and his kingdom, he devoted himself to scientific research and develops an advanced submarine, the Nautilus. He and a crew of his followers cruise the seas, battling injustice, especially imperialism. The gold of Spanish ships sunk in Vigo Bay, as a result of the Battle of Vigo Bay, provided them with bullion.”
Wow. I actually dig this idea. Nemo suddenly gets a trilogy! And if this movie does well, you go ahead and re-adapt the next two novels.
Disney is looking to shoot the film this year, but this doesn’t quite place McG out of the running for T5. He will definitely oversee pre-production and is in the running to direct it. I guess it all depends on how this one goes.