Following a daring escape from a Confederate prison camp during the American Civil War, Captain Cyrus Smith (Kyle MacLachlan - Desperate Housewives, Twin Peaks) and his comrades are swept out to sea by a perilous storm and crash-land on a lost tropical isle full of dangerous secrets.

Salvation comes in the form of Captain Nemo (Patrick Stewart - X-Men, Star Trek The Next Generation), the troubled hero of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea who has built a fortress on the island and claimed it as his scientific playground. When Nemo learns of Cyrus' engineering background, he tries to enlist Cyrus in his ultimate project - the creation of a doomsday weapon that Nemo believes will end all war forever.

After Cyrus doubts Nemo and his weapon, the castaways are thrown out, left to fend for themselves against the wrath of Mother Nature betrayed. Will the escapees betray their ideals and ask Nemo for help, or will he unleash the power of his terrible weapon?