20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997 Hallmark film) produced by Hallmark Entertainment. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997 Hallmark film) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a 1997 television film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Ben Cross as Captain Nemo. It premiered on March 23, 1997. Based on the novel of the same name by Jules Verne, it is most notable for replacing the character of Professor Aronnax's manservant, Conseil, with the Professor's daughter, Sophie, who disguises herself as a boy so that she may accompany her father aboard the USS "Abraham Lincoln"; she becomes the apex of a love triangle involving Captain Nemo and Ned the
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954 film) Will Smith for the Captain Nemo role, but he has reportedly turned down the part. As a second possible choice, McG had mentioned Sam Worthington, whom he worked with on "Terminator Salvation", though they did not ever discuss it seriously. The project was later shelved in November 2009 with McG backing out of directing. During the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, director David Fincher announced plans of directing "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" for Walt Disney Pictures based on a script by Scott Z. Burns. While Fincher was wrapping up "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2011), it was speculated that