It was over a year ago when we found out that David Fincher’s 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA was dead in the water; now the project may have new life! Fincher was developing a remake of the movie for years and it was actually getting close to becoming a reality. The big budget film at Disney was going to need a bankable lead and a lot of names came and went including Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Daniel Craig, and Channing Tatum. Alas, his vision would not come to fruition and was left high and dry.
Now and Disney is in negotiations with the Australian government for tax incentives that would set a course for an early 2015 production start on 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. Reports say that Disney is asking the Australian government to increase its tax incentives to secure "the biggest film shoot in Australia’s history", adding that filming on 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA is planned for early 2015. Disney had a previous agreement of a $21.6 million incentive when Fincher was involved in the development, in the current negotiations; Disney is now asking for an increase to 30% of the film’s budget to shoot the film in Australia.
Fincher has finished up work on GONE GIRL, so does this mean he’s coming back to 20,000 Leagues? If not, now close with this new production plan resemble what he had in mind? Did they find a new director and or a bankable star? The news is mostly about the negotiations with the Australian government so we will have to draw our own conclusions for now. I think we all hope that Fincher comes back for this project; the biggest effort of his career no doubt.