When Disney+ was on the rise, other streamers trembled. It seemed like they could leverage their vast IP at will and barrage the opposition with such recognizable content and brands, all underwritten by a limitless bag of cash. In the middle of this ascendency, they commissioned Nautilus, a ten-episode live-action series inspired by Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
It was shot in Australia, completed, and in the can.
It was to be an origin story of Nemo who, in this version, is an Indian Prince robbed of his birthright and family, and held as a prisoner of the East India Company. This varies slightly from the novel, in which it is only hinted that Captain Nemo went into undersea exile after his homeland was conquered and his family slaughtered by an un-named, powerful imperialist nation.
The show stars former Star Trek: Discovery, Spooks, and Penny Dreadful actor Shazad Latif as Captain Nemo. Luke Arnold, Cameron Cuffe, Jacob Collins-Levy, Georgia Flood, Thierry Frémont, and Caroline Goodall round out the crew to tell the tale of a man’s quest for revenge against the forces that have taken everything from him.
Then, suddenly, as Disney+ dreams started to stall, Nautilus was scrapped, despite being completed.
The producers were allowed to shop it around to other networks. AMC Networks acquired both the North American linear and streaming rights.
Well, it turns out that we will get to see it soon, very soon. At least you will if you are in the UK and Australia.
An October 25th premiere has been set for Nautilus on Prime Video in the UK and Stan in Australia. In the US it will air on AMC and the AMC+ streaming service next year as a special television event.