French Author Jules Verne is one of the world’s most celebrated writers. Releasing stories in his Voyages Extraordinaires series, he is one of the most translated authors of all time. Generations of readers have been swept away by his thrilling escapades and Hollywood has often looked to adapt his work.
Many such films came out in the 1950s and 60s, during a Jules Verne film cycle kick-started by Disney’s adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Filled with exotic locations, unique modes of travel, and cute animal companions; these movies have long delighted audiences and continue to inspire artists and writers to this day.
10 Master Of The World (1961)
A hugely ambitious film project for 1961 that features a giant flying fortress called The Albatross. Master Of The World stars the legendary Vincent Price as Robur, a man so dedicated to bringing world peace that he threatens the world’s armies to lay down their arms or face the wrath of his airship. It also stars Charles Bronson as one of 4 captives trying to escape the Albatross.
The problem with this film is that the special effects are really underwhelming. Many of the shots involving the ship feature a model superimposed onto stock film or clips from other movies and the results are anything but convincing. At one point the airship flies over medieval London for some reason, several centuries removed from the rest of the film. Considering the ways fans of Star Wars and The Last Starfighter are using CGI to update those classic films, somebody could really make Master Of The World a super film with some updated effects.
9 Journey To The Center Of The Earth (2008)
The precursor to 2012’s Journey 2, this movie is more of the same, but everything’s just a little bit less shiny here. A 3D release in theaters, the special effects are never too impressive and the film almost has the feel of a TV movie at times.
But Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson of The Hunger Games do make up a solid cast. If you’re in the mood for a cheesy good time and you’ve already seen Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, check this one out.
8 Around The World In 80 Days (2004)
Disney surely would have adapted Around the World in Eighty Days earlier if Michael Todd hadn’t beat them to it in 1956. They finally got their chance in 2004 and it starred Steve Coogan as Phileas Fogg and Jackie Chan as Passepartout. Both are very funny and the film features dozens of cameos including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Branson, and Owen Wilson.
It’s a fun and entertaining film, but it can feel a bit silly at times. The Shanghai Knights type subplot clashes with what Around the World in Eighty Days should be. Other great adaptations of this story include a Three Stooges version and a fascinating documentary series with Michael Palin, though none of them come close to capturing the tone and charm of the 1956 version.
7 The Light At The Edge Of The World (1971)
Die Hard with Pirates! The lone survivor of a lighthouse crew on an island off the coast of Argentina must survive after pirates take over the island. Kirk Douglas’s return to the world of Jules Verne is far removed from the kid-friendly 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, coming fully loaded with plenty of violence, blood, and explosions.
Screen icon Yul Brynner is as captivating as ever as the villainous pirate captain Kongre. Produced by the Salkind family that later made Superman with Christopher Reeves, The Light At The Edge Of The World is worth a look, just not for the kids.
6 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
The best Jules Verne film in recent memory is this 2012 adaptation of Mysterious Island. The second of two Jules Verne movies from producer Beau Flynn, this one upgrades its main star from Brendan Frasier to his The Mummy Returns costar Dwayne Johnson.
What makes this film stand out among recent Verne adaptations is that it’s just so fun. The movie never needs to take itself too seriously, aiming instead to be a crowd-pleaser with fun, relatable characters in exciting situations. Michael Caine and Luis Guzman round out an excellent cast. While this was the last such Jules Verne film to date from Flynn, it would remain a blueprint for his numerous Dwayne Johnson vehicles such as San Andreas and Rampage.
5 In Search Of The Castaways (1962)
Disney’s second Jules Verne production is a charming adventure starring Hayley Mills of The Parent Trap. Featuring pirates, cannibals, floods, and volcanoes, It’s an adventure that spans the globe.
The story features the two children of a missing sea captain as they journey from England to South America to Australia in search of their father. A charming charismatic performance from Maurice Chevalier highlights the film, which the whole family can enjoy.
4 Mysterious Island (1961)
When a group of Civil War soldiers escape a military prison in a hot air balloon, a storm carries them to a strange island. There they find all kinds of surprises, including crabs, birds, and bees that grow to giant sizes and an active volcano that is just days away from erupting.
The creatures are brought to life by legendary visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen and this film features another delightful score from Bernard Hermann. The story has references to several of Jules Verne’s other works and features the return of Captain Nemo, portrayed here by Herbert Lom.
3 Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
James Mason returns for another outstanding Jules Verne classic. Journey to the Center of the Earth sees a race between several adventures to be the first person to reach the center of the earth after the discovery of a passageway in Iceland.
With fascinating subterranean locations and encounters with dinosaurs long thought to be extinct, it’s a unique and thrilling adventure classic. Legendary composer Bernard Hermann adds a soundtrack that is both mesmerizing and terrifying, perfectly capturing the mood of descending into the dark and narrow caverns of this earth.
2 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)
A monster hit for Disney in 1954 which remains one of their most iconic live-action films. This is the film that kicked off the public’s obsession with Jules Verne films in the ’50s and ’60s. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea features the early steampunk submarine Nautilus and a fight with a giant squid. The outstanding cast includes James Mason as Nemo, plus Kirk Douglas and Peter Lorre, all of which would be sought after for future Jules Verne pictures.
Captain Nemo is Verne’s most iconic character and has appeared in unrelated films such as Captain Nemo and the Underwater City and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Disney loosely remade the film as The Black Hole in 1979 and has been considering a modern remake.
1 Around The World In 80 Days (1956)
The quintessential Jules Verne film sees 1870’s English gentleman Phileas Fogg take a bet that he can circle the globe in the span of just 80 days. David Niven is iconic in the role, as is Cantinflas as his acrobatic manservant Passepartout. Shirley MacLaine also stars and the film features dozens of celebrity cameos including Frank Sinatra, Peter Lorre, and Buster Keaton.
Featuring a memorable score and an iconic hot air balloon flight, the film takes its time to let you savor each of the cultures and locations visited. A highly recommended film the whole family will enjoy. The film opens with a documentary-style introduction which includes parts of 1902’s A Trip to the Moon, a landmark film from Georges Méliès which adapts Verne’s novel From the Earth to the Moon.
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