Disney has got a whale of a tale for James Mangold. The Wolverine director has reportedly been signed to helm Captain Nemo, an origin story based on the iconic character who first appeared in Jules Verne’s classic novel, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

After his first appearance in 20,000 Leagues, Nemo made his return in Verne’s follow up novel, The Mysterious Island under the name Prince Dakkar. Nemo was portrayed as a scientific genius who hated imperialism and oppression, which made him an enemy of the British empire.

Back in 1954, Disney produced the most popular film adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, which featured James Mason as Captain Nemo and Kirk Douglas as Ned Land. Disney has been trying to get its Captain Nemo movie into the ocean since 2009, with both Joseph McGinty Nichol (McG) and David Fincher previously attached to direct the film.

Captain Nemo isn’t expected to interfere with Mangold’s next movie, the third and final solo Wolverine film starring Hugh Jackman. Captain Nemo will begin production after Mangold finishes his Wolverine 3 commitments.

Last September, frequent X-Men director Bryan Singer announced that his next film will be a direct adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at 20th Century Fox. Singer’s movie is expected to begin production later in 2016, which means that it will beat Captain Nemo to theaters by a few years. But because Captain Nemo won’t be telling the same story, there could be room for both projects at the box office.

Which film are you most looking forward to: Mangold’s Captain Nemo or Singer’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea? Deliver a verdict in the comment section below!

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HT: Deadline

Image Credit: Walt Disney Pictures