When it isn't sinking into the depths of Worst-Of lists, 1995's Waterworld has bobbed into cult status, turning a profit thanks to its home entertainment release and other outlets. And now, according to Collider, producers John Davis and John Fox are looking to continue the story on TV, with 10 Cloverfield Lane's Dan Trachtenberg attached to direct the potential show.
Proving that any and every movie or show will eventually morph into something else, the producers are in the early stages of development on a series that appears close to landing a streaming home, potentially at Universal's Peacock service, at least in the US.
The original film, which was beset by production issues and suffered a critical mauling on its cinematic release, stars Kevin Costner as The Mariner, a drifter who sails the Earth, which has flooded after the polar ice caps completely melted, forcing the sea level to rise. The Mariner, whose body has mutated in order to adapt to its water-logged surroundings, reluctantly agrees to help a woman (Jeanne Triplehorn) and a young girl (Tina Majorino) try to find dry land while they fight off starvation and outrun a group of outlaw "smokers" led by Dennis Hopper's Deacon.
Fox, Davis and Trachtenberg are in the early stages of putting the show together, figuring out the story and finding writers to craft it. The aim is to pick up the story 20 years later instead of rebooting the movie.
"The only movie that I went back recently, that we made and rewatched and I was surprised at how well it held up, is Waterworld," Davis tells Collider. "For many, many years I didn't really want to see it because I thought the movie didn't work, it wasn't what the script was, it was not as good as the script, it had its production problems. And then I went back and saw it again, and it's like, 'Oh yeah, this movie ages great with time.'" For more on the idea, head to Collider.