"Going To Be Pulling Teeth For The Next Two Years": David Fincher Recalls Clashing With Disney Over Movie Adaptation Of Classic Sci-Fi Novel

David Fincher no longer has much interest in his 20,000 Leagues Under the Seamovie, and he is ready to explain why it failed. Based on the book by Jules Verne, the movie would follow Captain Nemo and the Nautilus crew as they attempt to battle undersea creatures while exploring the depths of the ocean. Fincher is best known for his work as the director of Se7en (1995), Fight Club (1999), and Gone Girl (2014), earning him considerable leeway in the industry.

Unfortunately, Fincher's influence has not been enough to help him get one project off the ground. His long-awaited 20,000 Leagues adaptation is now unlikely to ever come to fruition. In an interview with Letterboxdabout Se7en's lasting legacy, Fincher spoke up about the movie's slow development. While he was initially excited about it, he found that Disney was not interested in exploring the same themes as he was, and they had major differences in tonal expectations. Check out his explanation below:

Look, I really wanted to do Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea because what we had in mind was really kind of gross and cool and wet and steampunk and all that. But I got to do [Love, Death & Robots episode] ‘Bad Travelling’ on Netflix, and that scratched that itch. I was fine just doing that. You can’t make people be excited about the risks that you’re excited about.
Disney was in a place where they were saying, “We need to know that there’s a thing that we know how to exploit snout to tail, and you’re going to have to check these boxes for us.” And I was like, “You’ve read Jules Verne, right?” [Laughs] This is a story about an Indian prince who has real issues with white imperialism, and that’s what we want to do. And they were like, “Yeah, yeah, fine. As long as there’s a lot less of that in it.”
So you get to a point where you go, “Look, I can’t fudge this, and I don’t want you to discover at the premiere what it is that you’ve financed. It doesn’t make any sense because it’s just going to be pulling teeth for the next two years.” And I don’t want to do that. I mean, life’s too short. Movies fall apart for a reason, and I try to stay extremely even-keeled about this stuff. I learned from a great friend — and a lovely and talented man — named Joel Schumacher very early on in my career that you can’t want something more than the people who are going to finance it because then they got you. You want to keep your head above the fray.

What Fincher's Quote Means For The 20,000 Leagues Movie

The Movie Will Likely Not Happen

It is extremely unlikely that the 20,000 Leagues movie will ever be produced by Fincher. Reports as early as 2011 indicated that Fincher intended to create an expertly-crafted movie that would mix CGI with practical effects and 3D techniques. The screenplay was already written, Fincher had already staked out Channing Tatum as a potential star, and it appeared that there would be a movie on the way quickly. By 2021, however, it was already scrapped. Disney had wanted to cast Chris Hemsworth as the leading man, and the differing tonal and story approaches sealed Fincher's decision to walk away.

Disney previously adapted 20,000 Leagues into the classic 1954 movie.

The movie should have been a thrilling re-examination of Verne's story. Fincher's interest in depicting the Indian prince's story would have presented a new perspective that most adaptations have ignored over the years. There have been many failed adaptations of 20,000 Leagues, but this could have been a complete standout. With Fincher's name backing the project, general audiences could have viewed this as another major event movie. Instead, it never got off the ground and Fincher had to satiate himself with Love, Death, and Robots.

Our Take On The 20,000 Leagues Movie's Cancelation

Ending The Project Was The Right Decision

If a director's vision does not match a studio's expectations, the effects can be disastrous. Had Fincher gone with his original vision, the studio might have despised the final project. If so, it would generally be well within Disney's rights to demand costly reshoots, which could balloon the budget. Fincher might also have been dissatisfied with extensive studio meddling. The best decision for all sides was to scrap the project before it could become painful for both sides. Disney owns the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea property, so the Fincher movie will rightfully never come to be.

Source: Letterboxd