Stan has stepped in to rescue Nautilus after Disney scrapped the Queensland-filmed series last year.
All ten episodes of the title, based on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, will premiere October 25 on the streamer, ensuring an Australian audience for the modern retelling, following AMC Networks’ acquisition of US and Canadian linear and streaming rights in October last year, and Amazon announcing earlier this month it would screen the series in the UK and Ireland.
It was nearly two-and-a-half years ago that the Gold Coast’s Village Roadshow Studios was announced as the location for the shoot, which received $23.3 million in assistance from the Federal Government’s Location Incentive program with the expectation it would generate $172 million for the local economy, create 290 cast and crew roles, 2,200 extra roles, and use of 200 service businesses.
Australian actress Georgia Flood is among the main cast for the series, which reimagines the events of Jules Verne’s epic story from the perspective of Captain Nemo, played by Shazad Latif.
Once Nemo sets sail with his ragtag crew on board the awe-inspiring Nautilus, he not only battles with his enemy, but discovers a wondrous underwater world, learns to take his place as leader of the crew, and goes on an unforgettable adventure beneath the sea.
Flood plays Humility Lucas, a privileged daughter of the British Empire who is taken hostage on board the ship, leading an Australian contingent that includes Tyrone Ngatai, Andrew Shaw, Benedict Hardie, Jacob Collins-Levy, Luke Arnold, and Damien Garvey.
Developed and co-produced by Moonriver TV’s Xavier Marchand and Seven Stories’ Anand Tucker, Nautilus was written and executive produced by James Dormer and executive produced by Johanna Devereaux and Chris Loveall for Disney+, with Cameron Welsh as producer, and Michael Matthews as director.
Nine months after wrapping production, Disney UK revealed the series would no longer be heading to Disney+, with Deadline reporting the decision as part of the company’s streaming content removal plan, which included axing or shelving US$1.8 billion worth of content from streaming platforms from Disney+, Hulu, and Star. It was among the Australian-shot productions to face an uncertain future during last year’s US actor and writers strikes, with Binge series Apples Never Fall forced to shut down production, and AppleTV+’s Metropolis was scrapped entirely before filming.
Flood, who also featured in Apples Never Fall, told IF Stan’s acquisition was “so exciting”, given Australia’s role in bringing the series to life.
“I’m so stoked it’s going to be out in Australia because it was filmed here and the majority of the cast and crew are Australian, and even though it’s an English/international story, it’s Australian as well,” she told IF.
“When we were told [about Disney’s decision] by producers, they said their every intention was to sell it to different regions – they assured us that. There’s always a silver lining when the universe does stuff like that and Stan is a pretty good silver lining.”
In a statement, Marchand and Tucker said the “professionalism, craftsmanship, and excellence of the cast and crews from Queensland and other parts of Australia were second to none”.
“It was a pleasure working with such experienced, high spirited and hard working teams. We also had great work done by the local VFX companies and great support from Screen Queensland and The City of Gold Coast,” she said.
Stan chief content officer Cailah Scobie said acquiring Nautilus reflected the streamers’ commitment to supporting the Australian screen industry and screening premium content.
“A sweeping sci-fi drama adapted from an iconic and well-loved novel, Nautilus is an exciting new addition to our content slate,” she said.
“Nautilus’ high calibre is a testament to the hundreds of talented cast and creatives who worked on the series during its production in Queensland. We thank Screen Queensland, Disney, and the producers Moonriver TV and Seven Stories, and look forward to sharing Nautilus with Australian audiences when it sets sail next month.”
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney said she was pleased Australian audiences would be able to view the “stunning” series.
“Nautilus is one of the largest series to be made in Queensland and showcases the skill and artistry of hundreds of our local screen practitioners on an incredible scale,” she said.
All episodes of Nautilus will be available to view on Stan on October 25.