Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008 direct-to-video film)
A mockbuster adaptation of Jules Verne's classic novel.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (released in the UK as Journey to Middle Earth) is a 2008 American science fiction action adventure film from The Asylum. Directed by Scott Wheeler, it loosely adapts Jules Verne’s 1864 novel but closely resembles Edgar Rice Burroughs’ 1914 novel At the Earth's Core. It is The Asylum’s second film based on a Jules Verne novel, following 30,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Produced as a mockbuster, it was released to profit from the higher-budget film of the same name starring Brendan Fraser.
In the plot, a military teleporter malfunctions, sending a team of female soldiers beneath Earth’s surface instead of to Germany. The team encounters prehistoric dangers, including dinosaurs and giant arachnids. To rescue them, a scientist and her ex-husband use her large drilling machine to reach the center of the earth. The rescuers arrive in time, and all survivors are teleported back. The scientist and her ex-husband reconcile and kiss. As everyone leaves, a small arachnid crawls out of the team’s abandoned gear.
The cast includes Greg Evigan as Joseph Harnet, Dedee Pfeiffer as Emily Radford, Vanessa Lee Evigan as Victoria Jansen, Caroline Attwood as Gretchen Lake, Amelia Jackson-Gray as Kate Burroughs, Sara Tomko as Betsey Case, Vanessa Mitchell as Eve Abraham, and Michael Tower as Marty.
See also: Kola Superdeep Borehole, the deepest hole ever drilled into Earth’s crust; Viaje al centro de la Tierra, a Spanish adventure film based on Jules Verne’s novel.
External links: Journey to the Center of the Earth at The Asylum, IMDb, official trailer on YouTube, and the TCM Movie Database (archived).
Quick Facts
- Director
- David Jones / Scott Wheeler
- Producer
- David Michael Latt · David Rimawi · Paul Bales
- Based On
- Journey to the Center of the Earth / 1864 novel · Jules Verne
- Writer
- Steve Bevilacqua
- Starring
- Greg Evigan / Dedee Pfeiffer
- Music
- Chris Ridenhour
- Cinematography
- Mark Atkins
- Editing
- Tim Amick / Bobby K. Richardson
- Distributor
- The Asylum
- Released
- 1 July 2008
- Runtime
- 85 minutes
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film follows a military teleporter that malfunctions, sending a team of female soldiers beneath Earth's surface instead of to Germany. The soldiers encounter prehistoric dangers including dinosaurs and giant arachnids. A scientist and her ex-husband use her large drilling machine to rescue the team, eventually teleporting all survivors back to the surface, where the couple reconciles. A small arachnid is seen crawling from the team's abandoned gear.
Reader's Guide
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) is notable as a mockbuster produced by The Asylum to coincide with the release of a higher-budgeted film of the same name. It is the second Asylum film based on a Jules Verne novel, following 30,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The plot bears close similarity to Edgar Rice Burroughs' 1914 novel At the Earth's Core. The film features a cast including Greg Evigan, Dedee Pfeiffer, and Vanessa Lee Evigan. Its significance lies in its role as a low-budget, direct-to-video counterpart to a major studio release, reflecting The Asylum's strategy of capitalizing on popular film titles.
Did You Know?
- It is a loose adaptation of Jules Verne's 1864 novel Journey to the Center of the Earth.
- It is the second film by The Asylum based on a Jules Verne novel, after 30,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
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