Waterworld TV series in development with Dan Trachtenberg directing

Last Updated on August 10, 2021

When it was in production, Waterworld was the most expensive film ever made, so it certainly didn't help when the big-budget epic flopped at the box-office and received wildly mixed reviews. Over the years, the film has certainly found its fans and become something of a cult classic, but I never imagined that Waterworld would be returning in any form. According to Collider (confirmed by THR), Waterworld producers John Davis and John Fox are in the early stages of developing a Waterworld TV series, and they've already snagged 10 Cloverfield Lane's Dan Trachtenberg to direct.

The original movie took place after the polar ice caps had melted and submerged nearly every piece of land below water. The surviving humans huddled together in floating communities, trading with one another and trying to avoid the Smokers, a gang of pirates. Kevin Costner starred as The Mariner, a drifter who sailed around the globe by himself and who reluctantly agreed to help a woman and a young girl find the mythical Dryland. The Waterworld TV series won't be a reboot of the film, but rather a continuation taking place decades later. "We're going to do the streaming version of that movie, the continuation of that movie," Davis said, adding that it will take place "20 years later. All those people. 20 years later." As I mentioned above, the Waterworld TV series is still in the early stages, but John Fox said that it may already have a home. "For now, it's at Universal Television, and we are putting it together. But yes, we think it already has a home," Fox said. That seems to indicate that it may end up streaming on Peacock. Aside from Dan Trachtenberg, no one else has signed on just yet, but they are talking with a few different writers and hope to have one locked in within the next couple of weeks.

As far as any original cast members returning for the Waterworld TV series, it's probably too early to say, but I could certainly imagine Tina Majorino reprising her role of Enola. I know Waterworld gets a lot of shit, but I've got a real soft spot for the film. I rewatched it recently for the first time in a long time and I found it to be a hell of a lot of fun. What do you think? Is the world ready for a Waterworld TV series?