THE ICONS AUTHENTIC REPLICAS MUSEUM: Icons "20.000 Leagues Under The Sea" Nautilus

The picture above is a concept advertisement submitted to Disney for the Icons 16" Nautilus.

This is the Icons 31" Nautilus model with plaque numbered AP 03 and Director Richard Fleischer edition plaque. That one is in fact 1st off the production line (Disney received #1 and #2).

Only 57 of these were made at Icons under Scott Brodeen direct supervision.

That one is the Icons 16" Nautilus model, numbered 43.

I have heard that only 200 of these were made.

These exquisite miniatures are some of the greatest products ever released by Icons Authentic Replicas and are considered to be their Zenith in prop replica manufacturing. A hallmark in studio scale reproduction. Both of these Nautilus were researched and prototyped during one year at the Icons facility at a cost of $40,000 plus the Disney license which cost $300,000 in private funding (Master Replicas would later use the exact same molds to construct their 31 inch replica).

Never before seen photos, schematics and blueprints were provided to Icons to scratch build this amazing miniature. However the model's release was cut short by the company's financial troubles.

These beautiful 1st generation models from Walt Disney's classic film "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" were hand poured and casted by the artisans at Icons factory in California around 1999-2000. It was Scott Brodeen who constructed the original 16 inch and 31 inch Icons masters (he was also on the team that restored the original 11 foot filming miniature) and worked on them with limited interruption and ended up changing the way Nautilus miniatures were made from then on. By all competitors.

These replicas feature unprecedented detail and craftsmanship in every aspect and nuance of these masterpiece miniatures. With thousands of rivets lining the sub's surface and miniature details like individual ladder rungs, white metal components like anchors, lower keel screws and propellers and port hatches, galleria windows, which are constructed of high quality plastic, reveal the closed iris on both the starboard and port sides. Also the wheelhouse interior and steering / navigational instruments can be seen through the port windows !!

Also included is the famous covered skiff used by Ned Land, Conseil and Professor Aronax to make their daring escape from the sinking Nautilus along with the menacing rakers used by Nemo as his primary weapons for sinking vessels.

These miniatures exhibit the unprecedented craftsmanship that was present at Icons as they set the standards for studio scale prop reproduction. It was a personal dream project for Scott and Jim Latta for many years.

“20,000 Leagues Under The Sea” Nautilus 16" Miniature Icons conceptual brochure.

A scarce, "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" Nautilus submarine Icons 16" miniature conceptual brochure which was intended to be distributed at Disney theme park Gallery stores, a direct mailing promotional piece and would have been included in the Nautilus box with the replica.

You can see the original Disney Art Classics licensing notes hand-written in red ink on the interior of the brochure. Demonstrating the process in which the studio licensor and Icons the licensee, would work together to refine the design and text. Each piece of advertising / COA's / packaging and any kind of documentation needed to be pre-approved by the studio as licensor.

Interestingly, the James Mason estate demanded $10,000 USD for the usage of the actors face on this brochure and a proposed advertisement, so the front of the brochure went through a re-design.

Picture above is a COA prototype for the 16" Nautilus, with annotations / corrections asked by the Disney Company. Final and approved COA is different.

That one above is a conceptualization drawing made by Tone. Icons stock shareholders / investment bankers wanted Icons to develop lower priced point items as well. So it was to be a Toy play set for Never Were Toys.