Does it seem like we haven't heard a lot out of David Fincher lately? His name only pops up when discussing his Internet series, House of Cards, or when the subject of The Girl Who Played with Fire comes up. We still don't know if he'll be involved with that sequel or not, but one project that has been on the backburner for awhile is his planned adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
According to Variety, the sprawling CG/3D take on Jules Verne's nautical adventure has been put on a three month hold by Disney while they try to figure out what to do with it. It's going to be a very expensive film, that's for sure, with motion-capture a large part of the production. Considering Disney's budget woes recently with John Carter and The Lone Ranger, their hesitation is certainly understandable.
Fincher may have a trick up his sleeve to help Disney put up the cash, and that's to re-team with his frequent star, Brad Pitt. He's reportedly wooing the actor to take on the role of master harpoonist Ned Land, while the search is on for an older A-lister to play Captain Nemo. Fincher and Pitt have worked together on Se7en, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Fight Club, so it's a relationship that has proven successful and likely would again. Nothing is confirmed right now, and Pitt's people have made it clear he's not attached right now.
The latest move had Fincher hiring Se7en scribe Andrew Kevin Walker to pen the latest screenplay. In the meantime, Disney's got a tough decision to make, but adding Pitt sure would make it a lot easier.
