The highly-anticipated epic adventure series Nautilus has hit streaming services worldwide.
Developed and produced by Moonriver TV and Seven Stories for Disney, the lavish ten-part series starring Shazad Latif and Georgia Flood (Apples Never Fall) explores the origin story of Captain Nemo from Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and his legendary submersible ship, the Nautilus. The production, filmed at Village Roadshow Studios and multiple locations in South-East Queeensland, Australia also features guest appearances from Richard E Grant, Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders), Anna Torv (The Last of Us).
In travels that take Captain Nemo and his rag-tag crew of misfits across the globe, Queensland substitutes for tropical jungle islands in the South Pacific, 1858’s London, Indonesian palaces and more exotic locations.
“I can honestly say that filming Nautilus in Australia was the greatest and most meaningful professional experience of my life so far—it was a very inspiring environment to be a part of. It was palpable in the atmosphere on set every day that this series meant a great deal to everyone involved.”
Isabelle Sieb (Director, Episodes 8-10)
When it came to deciding where to shoot the series, Queensland fit the brief perfectly with the variety of locations found within a convenient radius to the Gold Coast’s Village Roadshow Studios. The Gold Coast is beloved for its laid-back lifestyle, cafe and dining culture, luxurious hotels—all near an international airport receiving flights from Los Angeles, Vancouver, San Francisco and more.
“Queensland has offered so many stunning environments that work so well for Nautilus on its global adventures.”
David Lee (Production Designer)
The Indonesian palace and grounds of the duplicitous and charming White Rajah––played by Richard E Grant––were established using Brisbane’s heritage-listed Old Museum and the Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens. The distinctive contrasting bricks of the Old Museum lend a unique visual interest and juxtaposition to the Botanic Gardens’ lush rainforest that form the White Rajah’s domain.
Burleigh Heads National Park and Tamborine Mountain National Park double for the bountiful, untouched beaches and jungles of an exotic (and deadly) island in the South Pacific. The white, sandy beaches and shallow turquoise waters of Burleigh Heads showcase a tranquil paradise, while piccabeen palm groves and tall flooded gum trees in Tamborine National Park provide a distinctly tropical feel. The natural environment surrounding the Gold Coast is ideally suited to double for other equatorial forests in South East Asia and South America.
Sites in the Queensland capital city of Brisbane, including Parliament House, the Masonic Memorial Hall, Government House, as well as the nearby Ipswich Rail Yard Museum and Workshops stood in for 1850s London where the Nautilus crew found their final revenge on the East India Mercantile Company.
Village Roadshow Studios was ideally equipped to accommodate a production of scale like Nautilus. With the largest purpose-built water tank in Australia, the seven seas could be recreated in one tank, while the immersive sets filled four of the nine studios on the lot.
Over 220 Queensland crew lent their skills and experience to the production, including an art department full of talented local artisans led by award-winning production designer David Lee.
“Working with the crew in Queensland has been a next level experience: the level of craftsmanship has been breathtaking and the brilliant stages and professionals to build these worlds with has made this work a joy.”
David Lee (Production Designer)
From steampunk submarine interiors to a life-size ship, vast arctic expanses and detailed underwater caverns, Nautilus is a feast for the eyes driven by pain-staking attention to detail.
“The team has been welcoming, inclusive, hard-working, solution driven, and the team spirit, passion for filming and experience is palpable at every level. The technical quality and attention to details is showing up on screen from every department––design, costume, camera, lighting, hair and make-up, SFX, production management…”
Xavier Marchand (Executive Producer)
Nautilus is available to watch on Stan in Australia, Prime Video in the UK with AMC and AMC+ to premiere the series in the US and Canada.
Nautilus has been supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy, which offers incentives for productions spending a minimum of AU$3.5 million in the state. The production received additional support through Screen Queensland’s 15% Post, Digital, Visual Effects Incentive, which is available to projects spending a minimum AU$250,000 on qualifying PDV.
“We were proven right to come to Queensland. Prepping and shooting Nautilus over 13 months has been my best producing experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with everyone here and also living near great beaches and restaurants! I am very sad to see the finishing line but hope to be back soon.”
Xavier Marchand (Executive Producer)
Screen Queensland also offers location and scouting assistance and operates Screen Queensland Studios in Brisbane and Cairns. For more information about Screen Queensland’s incentives, location services and Queensland-based post-production facilities, contact:
Naomi Wenck
Head of Production Attraction
[email protected]
