The Disney+ Original U.K. series “Nautilus,” based on Jules Verne’s classic novel “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea,” will not be moving forward, Deadline reports.
According to Deadline, the decision is part of Disney’s streaming content removal plan unveiled in May, for which the company is taking an impairment charge of approximately $1.5 to $1.8 billion. As part of the cost reduction strategy, Disney’s streaming platforms, particularly flagship Disney+, have been taking a closer look at their programming with a new emphasis on content curation.
The news comes on the heels that Disney+ has also decided not to move forward with the series adaptation of “The Spiderwick Chronicles” which had already completed production.
“Nautilus” was announced during the 2021 Edinburgh TV Festival. The ten-part live-action adventure series tells the origin story of Verne’s most iconic character, Captain Nemo, and his famous submarine, The Nautilus, told from his point of view.
In the series, Nemo is an Indian Prince robbed of his birth right and family, a prisoner of the East India Company and a man bent on revenge against the forces which have taken everything from him. But once he sets sail with his ragtag crew on board the awe-inspiring Nautilus, he not only battles with his enemy, he also discovers a magical underwater world.’
Shazad Latif (“Star Trek: Discovery”, “The Pursuit of Love”) was set to play the iconic role of Captain Nemo, the enigmatic Indian prince who steals a fantastical submarine from the East India Company and sets sail in search of adventure under the sea.
The cast also included Georgia Flood and Thierry Frémont, with Pacharo Mzembe, Arlo Green, Tyrone Ngatai, Ling Cooper Tang, Andrew Shaw, Ashan Kumar, Céline Menville and Kayden Price.
The series is produced by Xavier Marchand’s Moonriver Studios and Anand Tucker’s Seven Stories.
Source: Deadline