You probably remember the giant squid. Most people do. It’s that massive, slimy, multi-tentacled nightmare that nearly drags a submarine to the bottom of the ocean. But honestly, there is so much more to the 1954 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea movie than just a rubber monster and some screaming sailors.
It changed everything.
Before this film, Walt Disney was the "cartoon guy." He did Snow White. He did Mickey. People didn't think he could handle a big-budget, live-action gritty adventure. Then he dropped $5 million—a staggering amount for 1954—on a story about a miserable, genius captain who hunts warships. It was a massive gamble.
The Nautilus and the Birth of Steampunk
If you look at the Nautilus today, it still looks cool. Like, really cool. It doesn't look like those sleek, cigar-shaped modern subs. It looks like a jagged, metallic shark. Harper Goff, the designer, basically invented the "steampunk" aesthetic before it even had a name. He mixed Victorian elegance—velvet chairs, a pipe organ, leather-bound books—with heavy rivets and portholes.
Funny enough, Goff didn't just pull the design out of thin air. He looked at the Forth Bridge in Scotland and a bunch of 19th-century hardware. He wanted it to look like it was built by a man who had all the money in the world but hated everyone on the surface.
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In the book, Jules Verne’s Nautilus ran on sodium-mercury batteries. But since the movie came out in the 1950s, Disney swapped that for "atomic energy." It was a total Cold War move. Everyone was terrified of the bomb, so Nemo’s power source made him seem even more dangerous and futuristic to audiences back then.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Cast
You’ve got Kirk Douglas playing Ned Land, the harpooner. He’s loud. He sings. He has a pet seal. Honestly, some people find him a bit much. In the original book, Ned is a brooding, silent Canadian. Disney turned him into a swaggering American hero because, well, it’s a 1950s movie. You needed a guy for the kids to cheer for.
Then there’s James Mason as Captain Nemo.
He is perfect.
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Mason plays Nemo not as a villain, but as a man who has just seen too much. He’s grieving. He’s angry. He’s a genius who decided the world didn't deserve his inventions. When he plays that pipe organ while the ship is crashing through the waves, you can actually feel how much he hates the "civilized" world. It’s a deep, nuanced performance that you just don't see in many "kids' movies" today.
The Nightmare of the Giant Squid
The squid scene is legendary, but it was almost a disaster. They originally filmed the whole fight on a calm sea at sunset. It looked terrible. You could see the wires holding up the tentacles, and the water looked like a bathtub.
Walt Disney saw the footage and basically said, "Trash it."
He ordered them to re-shoot the entire thing in a violent storm with rain and spray everywhere. This hid the mechanical flaws of the squid and made the scene feel ten times more intense. It ended up costing another $200,000—which was a fortune—but it’s the reason people still talk about the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea movie seventy years later.
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Why It Still Matters in 2026
We are currently in an era of remakes and reboots. There’s been talk for years about a new version. David Fincher (the guy who did Fight Club and The Social Network) tried to get a remake off the ground at Disney, but it fell apart because he wanted it to be "dark and wet" and the studio wanted a family-friendly franchise.
Instead, we've seen projects like the Nautilus series (which moved from Disney+ to AMC/FX) trying to capture that same magic. But honestly? It’s hard to beat the 1954 original. It has a soul that's hard to replicate with CGI.
Wait, did you know?
- The movie was the first Disney film to be distributed by their own company, Buena Vista.
- It won Oscars for Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects.
- They actually filmed underwater in the Bahamas, which was a logistical nightmare for the divers who only had about an hour of air.
How to Experience the Story Today
If you actually want to "dive" into this world, don't just watch the movie and call it a day. The history of how they built the sets is just as wild as the plot itself.
- Watch the 1954 film on Disney+: Pay attention to the lighting in the salon. They used viewable ceilings to make the sub feel claustrophobic.
- Read the Jules Verne novel: It’s much more of a travelogue. You’ll see just how much the movie changed the ending (the book’s ending is way more mysterious).
- Check out the "Nautilus" series: If you want a modern take on Nemo’s origin story, it's worth a look to see how they've updated the steampunk vibe for 2026 audiences.
- Look for the "Making of" documentaries: There is a great one where they show the original "failed" squid footage. It’s a masterclass in why lighting and atmosphere matter more than the monsters.
The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea movie isn't just a relic. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best way to tell a story about the future is to lean into the beautiful, clunky mechanics of the past.