Bryan Singer Dives 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

Director Bryan Singer, who is putting the finishing touches to ‘X-Men: Apocalypse,’ has taken to Instagram to announce that he will next direct an adaptation of Jules Verne’s ‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.’

It’s my 50th birthday (ouch), and I just put the finishing touches on the script for my next film. A story I’ve wanted to retell since childhood. I promise this will be an epic and emotional adventure for all ages! An adventure very dear to my heart. Not abandoning the #xmen universe. Very excited about #xmenapocalypse and beyond. #julesverne #20000leaguesunderthesea #nemo

A photo posted by Bryan Singer (@bryanjaysinger) on Sep 17, 2015 at 10:14am PDT

There has been talk of a new take on sci-fi odyssey for years now, with both Disney and 20^th Century Fox mounting adaptations. David Fincher was long attached to direct the Disney project, but the filmmaker never got his vision before cameras. Singer’s adaptation comes from screenwriters Rick Sordelet and Dan Studney, with Singer himself providing the story.

Verne’s beloved 1870 novel followed the undersea adventures of Captain Nemo and his crew aboard the submarine vessel, the Nautilus. A number of adaptations have graced the big and small screen, but perhaps the best known is Richard Fleischer’s 1954 film starring James Mason and Kirk Douglas.

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE is released in Irish cinemas next year.