Diksha Sundriyal
AMC’s ‘Nautilus’ follows the story of Captain Nemo, who escapes slavery in a British colony to embark on an epic adventure, intending to get revenge on his oppressors. He is joined in this quest by a band of misfits who become a part of his crew through sheer luck. Everyone aboard the Nautilus, which is a scientific and architectural marvel, has their own reasons for joining Nemo’s crew, but soon, they are united in their purpose to fight the British East India Mercantile Company. With the immense power of the Nautilus at their disposal, the company sends another powerhouse ship called Dreadnought to chase after them, which is a behemoth in itself. Interestingly, both these ships draw parallels with real-life ones. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional Nautilus and Dreadnought Have Connections to Real Life
‘Nautilus’ is a fictional series inspired by the works of Jules Verne and his story of Captain Nemo in ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’ and ‘The Mysterious Island.’ Nautilus is the name of the fictional ship helmed by Nemo, and Dreadnought is its counter-ship, created to serve the show’s plot. While Nemo and his ship’s stories in Verne’s novels are completely made-up, he did look towards real-life things for inspiration. To begin with, he named Nautilus after a real-life submarine of the 1800s, created by Robert Fulton. The name fits Nemo’s ship because it is a shell that carries its inhabitants to the ocean’s depths with the efficiency of a sea creature.
For the design, Verne looked towards the French Navy submarine named Plongeur, which he was said to have become familiar with at the 1867 expo. He is also said to have credited the CSS Alabama, the American Civil War-era warship built in Birkenhead, England, as one of the major inspirations behind Nautilus’ design in the book. However, he added his own imagination into the mix to make Nemo’s Nautilus seem something entirely out of this world and worthy of admiration, as it takes its crew to unfathomable depths and carries them through the most uncertain times.
As for the Dreadnought, Verne couldn’t have found much in real life, as this type of ship was created at the beginning of the twentieth century, years after his novel was published. This variety of ships is said to have revolutionised naval warfare by sparking an arms race between the countries that did not want to be left behind in expanding their naval might. The show uses this real-life detail to create the ship that is sent to chase after Nemo’s Nautilus. While it is not as exceptional as Nautilus, it is intimidating enough to scare Nemo and his crew, such that they are ready to sink to the depths of the ocean to save themselves.
Nautilus and Dreadnought Were Brought to Life Using Elaborate Sets
When making ‘Nautilus,’ its creators did not want to join the CGI race and film the show on a green screen. Rather, they wanted to make things as realistic as possible for the viewers, as well as the actors, to help them feel more grounded in this fictional world. For this, the production leaned heavily towards practical effects, which meant creating a Nautilus of their own. For this, they took up space on at least two soundstages of the Village Roadshow studios on the Gold Coast in Australia.
One of the sets focused on presenting the continuity within the ship to film the interior scenes with ease, while also being able to capture the intricacy of the submarine. Another set was used to create the observation hole through which several interior parts of the submarine were connected to allow a streamlined flow of the whole structure. They also took care of the smallest details, from the books on the shelves to the real piston engines that would pump a life of their own into the set.
Yet another set was used to create the exteriors of the submarine, which called for an intricate design that would reflect the utility of the submarine, while also adding flair and gravitas to its design. In the same vein, the Dreadnought received practical treatment, though it wasn’t nearly as complex as creating the Nautilus. At the end of the day, this dedication to using practical effects does its job by grounding the characters and their circumstances in realism, making the entire universe more vibrant and thrilling for the audience.
Read More: Where Was Nautilus Filmed? AMC Show Filming Locations
