A young girl inhabits an isolated island with her scientist father and communicates with a reclusive author of the novel she's reading.

New England, 1886: a creature of unknown origin is destroying ships at sea. It is the job of Professor Pierre Aronnax, a marine expert, and Ned Land, the iron willed sailor, to learn the truth about the monster roaming the seas. In their search, they come across the sophisticated submarine Nautilus, secretly cruising under the ocean, and its charismatic captain Nemo.