Soderbergh Times

It's a triple story post with Steven Soderbergh as its common thread

Film writer scribe Scott Z. Burns told the folks over at Cinema Blend that he's done writing work on both David Fincher's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo" and Soderbergh's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and both pic await casting to begin.

Burns says 'Leagues' will shoot later "Because of the amount of pre-vis work that David would have to do we wouldn’t probably start shooting for a little while later and David is so buried in Dragon Tattoo, that’s where his focus is."

The film is big in scale, but apparently only uses "very little" from the original story by Jules Verne. 

The film will focus on the relationship between the three main characters - Captain Nemo, French marine biologist Professor Pierre Aronnax, and master harpoonist Ned Land.

Burns hopes production on 'U.N.C.L.E.' will start in the Spring and the script is already finished and is set "more in a real world context" than the series. Fans of the show though will "recognize tiny little things".

George Clooney has seemingly dropped out of Soderbergh's film adaptation of  "U.N.C.L.E." says Deadline.

Robert Vaughn and David McCallum starred in the original spy drama as two agents of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.), who fought the forces of Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity (T.H.R.U.S.H.).

No reason was given for the exit but the studio wants to stick to their schedule which means Soderbergh will begin shooting the movie in February. 

Soderbergh has been talking retirement for some time, and it seems he's serious according to The Hollywood Reporter.

He told The New York Times in his Manhattan painting studio, Soderbergh wants to become a full-time painter (!!??) but adds:

"I'm interested in exploring another art form while I have the time and ability to do so. I'll be the first person to say if I can't be any good at it and run out of money I'll be back making another 'Ocean's' movie."

Soderbergh still has 2 more films to prep--Magic Mike and Liberace