At an interview for McG's latest television producing project, HUMAN TARGET, starring Jackie Earle Haley, he spoke to candidly IESB about his upcoming film 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA.

Find out his vision - he says it's a big departure from the original Disney film and stays closer to the novel - the action and the spirit of adventure he wants to keep and what Jules Verne means to him in the interview excerpt below!

IESB: What is your vision for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?

McG: It's a bit of a departure from the Richard Fleischer movie, and much more in keeping with the spirit of the novel, as far as what Aronnax is up to and the becoming of Captain Nemo, and how the man became at war with war itself. So, there's a little bit more meat on the bone, in regard to the genesis of the Nemo character, than you're given in the ‘50's movie that Disney made. Also, it's a little more contemporary.

I love that movie, but there were two female characters, and they were both prostitutes. And, there were a couple of black people in the film, and they were all electrocuted. So, nowadays, I think we need to progress a little bit beyond that.

IESB: Will 20,000 Leagues be like Indiana Jones? Will the film be action-packed?

McG: Yes, there will be a great deal of action because, let's face it, the guy is an adventurer. And, I think that was the intention of Jules Verne. The idea was living a life beyond, in contemporary society, what we would have to characterize as "cubicle life." The idea is getting up and then going around the world, living under sea and doing what no one does. It's the spirit of the adventure that I want to capture.

Q: What does Jules Verne mean for you?

McG: Everything. I grew up on his body of work, and the imagination to come out of the mid-19th century is extraordinary. I'm active in the Jules Verne society, and I am very passionate about protecting his legacy. I hope we can make a contribution to his memory because the work is so important to me. Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in 80 Days held so many great memories, when I read them as a young adult.

It was funny because, at the time, I wanted to be a psychiatrist, when I was reading a lot of that material. So, I was reading Freud, in the standard edition, and I was reading Jules Verne, and I was trying to draw parallels between the two. It led me to who I am today, for better or for worse.

Q: IMDB has you listed with a ton of upcoming projects. Is 20,000 Leagues the one that's actually going forward right now?

McG: Yeah. I'm prepping 20,000 Leagues, every day, but I'm concurrently prepping Terminator 5, another Terminator picture. So, we're cooking that up. And then, I'm very active in Spring Awakening, the musical, also. So, we'll see. But, my focus, right now, is really pushing forward with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

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