Adaptations of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas


Jules Verne's 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas has been adapted and referenced in popular culture on numerous occasions.

Stage, film and audio adaptations

Audio

  • Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas has been adapted as an audiobook many times, both unabridged and abridged, with some well-known readers, including: 1960's, published by Caedmon Records, read by James Mason ; 1989, Recorded Books Classics Library Audiobook unabridged version, #89880, in 10 audio-cassettes, 14.5 hours, performed by Norman Dietz; 1994, published by Naxos Audiobooks, read by John Carlisle ; 1998, published by Blackstone Audio, read by Frederick Davidson ; 2008, published by Dove Audio, read by Harlan Ellison ; 2011, published by Listening Library, read by James Frain ; and 2016, published by CSA Word/Talking Classics, read by Alex Jennings.Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas was adapted into a half-hour episode of the NBC radio series Favorite Story hosted by Ronald Colman and broadcast December 20, 1947 as the favorite story of Orson Welles.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, an 8-part serial adaptation broadcast on the BBC Home Service.
  • In 1963, Disneyland Records released The Story of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a loose adaptation of both the Verne novel and the 1954 Walt Disney film. This version is more family-friendly, changes the character of "Conseil" from Professor Aronnax's manservant to his nephew and provides a "happy ending".
  • In 1974, Wonderland Records released 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a loose adaptation of the Verne novel. This version changes the characters' names to "Professor Anthony Aronnax" and "Ned Baker", added the character of "Commander Smith" and changes the character of Captain Nemo into a megalomaniac bent on world domination.
  • A radio adaptation was broadcast on The General Mills Radio Adventure Theater, hosted by Tom Bosley, on March 13, 1977.
  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – A radio drama adaption of Jules Verne's novel aired in the United States.
  • Nigel Anthony performed a five-episode abridged reading of the novel on BBC Radio 7 in May 2010; it was rebroadcast in November that same year.
  • Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea – A double album recorded by Dutch post-rock trio I Could Float Here Forever, published by independent record label MoonSwing. This adaptation consists of twenty two tracks and features 24 illustrations portraying the occurrences in the story. As it attempts to musically render an extra-musical narrative, it is to be considered a modern example of program music
  • A new radio adaptation by Gregory Evans was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 29 July 2018 as part of its To The Ends of the Earth drama series, featuring Sagar Arya as Nemo, Neil McCaul as Professor Aronnax. David Seddon as Ned Land and Madeline Hatt as Connie Aronnax.

Stage

  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – musical – libretto Joseph Bradford – music G. Operti.
  • A stage play adaptation by Walk the Plank. In this version, the "Nautilese" private language used by the Nautilus's crew was kept, represented by a mixture of Polish and Persian.
  • Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. A stage play adaptation by Ade Morris for the Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, England. This version was for six actors and used physical theatre to help tell the story, which emphasised parallels in Verne's original with contemporary world events.

Theatrical films

Television

Video games

Board games

Nemo's War - A mainly solitaire board game created by Chris Taylor. It has multiple editions and expansions.
  • The boardgame "Raiders of the Deep: U-boats of the Great War 1914-18" published by Compass Games includes an unofficial add-on featuring Captain Nemo's Nautilus. The add-on suggests that Nemo survived until WWI and continued his quest for revenge against the Allied empires.

Comic book and graphic adaptations

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas has been adapted into comic book format numerous times.
  • In 1948, Gilberton Publishing published a comic adaptation in issue #47 of their Classics Illustrated series. It was reprinted in 1955; 1968; 1978, this time by King Features Syndicate as issue #8 of their King Classics series; and again in 1997, this later time by Acclaim/Valiant. Art by was Henry C. Kiefer.
  • In 1954, the newspaper strip Walt Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales published a comic based on the 1954 film, which ran from August 1-December 26, 1954. This was translated into many languages worldwide. Adaptation was by Frank Reilly, with art by Jesse Marsh.
  • In 1955, Dell Comics published a comic based on the 1954 film in issue #614 of their Four Color anthology series called Walt Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. This was reprinted by Hjemmet in Norway in 1955 & 1976, by Gold Key in 1963, and in 1977 was serialized in several issues of Western's The New Micky Mouse Club Funbook, beginning with issue #11190. Art was by Frank Thorne.
  • In 1963, in conjunction with the first nationwide re-release of the film, Gold Key published a comic based on the 1954 film called Walt Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. This reprinted the Frank Thorne version.
  • In 1963, Gold Key published Walt Disney's World Of Adventure, which featured The Adventures Of Captain Nemo, a prequel to the Disney film. Story & art were by Dan Spiegle, who eventually did 6 episodes of the series between 1963-1972.
  • In 1972, IPC in England published Donald And Mickey. The first 12 issues featured The Adventures Of Captain Nemo, with art by Sam Fair.
  • In 1973, Vince Fago's Pendulum Press published a hardcover illustrated book. This collected a new version which had been previously serialized in Weekly Reader magazine. Adaptation was by Otto Binder, with art by Romy Gaboa & Ernie Patricio. This was reprinted in 1976 by Marvel Comics in issue #4 of their Marvel Classics Comics series; in 1984 by Academic Industries, Inc. as issue #C12 of their Classics Illustrated paperback book series; in 1990 again by Pendulum Press, with a new painted cover; and again, using the same cover, in 2010 by Saddleback Publishing, Inc., this time in color.
  • In 1974, Power Records published a comic and record set, PR-42. Art was by Rich Buckler & Dick Giordano.
  • In 1975, Look And Learn Ltd. in England published an adaptation of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea as 11 chapters in issues 707-717 of their Look And Learn magazine. This version was reprinted in late 1980 by Fleetway in their Lion Annual 1981.
  • In 1976, Marvel Comics published a comic book adaptation via issue #4 of their Marvel Classics Comics line. This was a reprint of the Pendulum Press version.
  • In 1990, Pendulum Press published another comic based on the novel via issue #4 of their Illustrated Stories line. This was a reprint of the Pendulum Press version, with a new painted cover.
  • In 1992, Dark Horse Comics published a one shot comic called Dark Horse Classics. This was originally announced as part of the Berkeley/First Comics Classics Illustrated series, as a full-color "prestige format" book, but was delayed when the company went bankrupt. The Dark Horse version was scaled back to a standard comic-book format with B&W interiors. It was reprinted in 2001 by Hieronymous Press as a limited-edition of 50 copies available only from the artist's website, and more recently, in 2008 from Flesk Publications as an expensive full-color book, as originally intended. Adaptation & art by Gary Gianni.
  • In 1997, Acclaim/Valiant published CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #8. This was a reprint of the 1948 Gilberton version with a new cover.
  • In 2001, Hieronymus Press published a reprint of the Dark Horse Comics version, with a new cover, as a limited-edition of 50 copies, available only from Gary Gianni's website.
  • In 2006, Seven Seas Entertainment released Captain Nemo, a sequel to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.
  • In 2008, Sterling Graphics published a pop-up graphic book.
  • In 2008, Capstone Publishers / Stone Arch Books published a graphic novel called Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under The Sea. The adaptation was by Carl Bowen, the cartoon-style art by Jose Alfonso Ocampo Ruiz, and the coloring by Benny Fuentes.
  • In 2009, Flesk Publications published a graphic novel called Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under The Sea. This was a reprint, in color for the first time, of the Gary Gianni version.
  • In 2010, Saddleback Publishing, Inc. published a new reprint of the Pendulum Press version, this time in color, and reusing the 1990 cover painting.
  • In 2010, Campfire Classics, a company in India, published a new version. Adaptation was by Dan Rafter, with art by Bhupendra Ahluwalia.
  • In 2011, Campfire Classic published a trade paperback.
  • In 2012, Glénat Editions published Nemo, a graphic novel by French artist Brüno. It had previously been released in four parts from 2001 to 2004. In 2017, IDW Publishing published an English translation.
  • Polish painter Waldemar Andrzejewski adapted the novel as a comic book titled Kapitan Nemo. Its creation is estimated at late 1970s or early 1980s; the exact date is unknown, as the comic book was discovered in 2015, after the author's death.