Stan Picks Up Former Disney+ Original Series “Nautilus”
Back in 2022, Disney began production on a new original series for Disney+ called “Nautilus”, which tells Jules Verne’s epic story from Captain Nemo’s point of view: an Indian Prince robbed of his birthright and family, a prisoner of the East India Mercantile Company and a man bent on revenge against the forces that have taken everything from him. But 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.
Originally, the series had been announced to be coming to Disney+. However, Disney decided that it no longer wanted to release the show on its own streaming platform, instead selling it off to other platforms to try to recoup some of its costs, rather than just “writing” it off as a tax loss.
In the United States, AMC picked up the show and today, Australian streaming service, Stan, has announced that it has picked up the show and it will be coming to the service soon, though no release date has been announced.
It’s also an excellent pickup for Stan, since the show was filmed at the Village Roadshow Studios in Queensland, Australia, with the digital and visual effects also being completed in Western Australia.
“Nautilus” stars Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery) and Australian actress Georgia Flood (Apples Never Fall), along with Thierry Frémont and Céline Menville, with guest appearances from Richard E Grant, Anna Torv and Noah Taylor (Stan Original Series Thou Shalt Not Steal). The Australian cast also includes Tyrone Ngatai, Andrew Shaw, Benedict Hardie (Stan Original Film Poker Face), Jacob Collins-Levy (Stan Original Series Prosper), Luke Arnold (Stan Original Series Scrublands) and Damien Garvey.
The ten-part series is developed and produced by Moonriver TV’s Xavier Marchand and Seven Stories’ Anand Tucker, is written and executive produced by James Dormer and is executive produced by Johanna Devereaux, Chris Loveall, Colleen Woodcock and Daisy Gilbert. Cameron Welsh serves as producer and Michael Matthews is the lead director.
Stan Chief Content Officer Cailah Scobie said the following in a statement regarding the pickup:
“A sweeping sci-fi drama adapted from an iconic and well-loved novel, Nautilus is an exciting new addition to our content slate. As always, Stan is committed to supporting the Australian screen industry and bringing premium content to the platform, and 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 soon.”
Moonriver TV’s Xavier Marchand and Seven Stories’ Anand Tucker said:
“We had a fabulous time shooting Nautilus on the Gold Coast. 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. We are thrilled that Stan is bringing the Nautilus to Australian audiences.”
Jacqui Feeney, Screen Queensland CEO said:
“We welcome Stan’s acquisition of Nautilus and we are pleased that Australian audiences will be able to view this stunning series soon. 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.”
Roger’s Take: On one hand, it’s great that “Nautilus” is getting to be released, rather than being thrown away as a tax loss, but it’s also disapointing to see how Disney’s strategy has shifted so much, moving away from creating new originals for Disney+, cutting back on how much it spends. I also have that nagging thought with regards to watching the show, thinking, if it wasn’t good enough for Disney+ and its unlikely to get picked up for more seasons, should I bother to watch it?
Will you be checking out “Nautilus”? Let me know on social media!
Roger Palmer
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Former Disney+ Original “Nautilus” Heading To AMC In The US & Canada
