The originalWaterworldfilm was released byUniversal Picturesin 1995. The concept is a compelling one—the ocean rising above land, with survivors forced to live on rafts and fight for drinking water. John Davis, one of the original film’s producers, believes that as well, as he has begun talking with Universal Television about the development of aWaterworldtelevision series for streaming.
The originalWaterworldtakes place many years after the melting of the polar ice cap. The film starred Kevin Costner (Clark Kent’s father inWarner Bros.‘sMan of Steel) as The Drifter, a lone sailor trading dirt for supplies. He decides to protect a girl named Enola and her guardian Helen, who are both being pursued by The Smokers, a gang led by The Deacon, a villain who is played by the late Dennis Hopper. Once The Drifter discovers that Enola has a map leading to dry land tattooed on her back, he devotes himself to keeping the girl safe and away from The Deacon and his Smokers.
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John Davis of Davis Productions will be producing theWaterworldseries along with co-producer Larry Gordon andThe EqualizerTV series producer John Fox.10 Cloverfield Lanedirector Dan Trachtenberg, who is also attached tothePredatororigin story,Skull, is on board as an episode director for the series, which is reportedly in the early stages of development. Davis wants the series to be available on a streaming service, which would likely be Comcast’s Peacock given the involvement of Universal Television. Costner is not attached to the project at this time.
Universal Television is responsible for producing some of the most exciting television series in recent memory, includingZoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,Ted Lasso, and Peacock’sSaved by the Bellreboot. The company also had thecomedy musical seriesSchmigadoon!released on Apple TV Plus earlier this Summer, while other Universal Television shows due for release later in 2021 includeOrdinary Joe,FBI: International,La Brea, andThe Gilded Age.
TheMad Max-adjacentWaterworldmay not have reached as many audiences as Universal might have wanted back in 1995. However, with a new series available on streaming, the tale of a flooded Earth may have another chance to shine.
As recent successes such asNetflix’s adaptation ofSweet Toothmay be indicating, aWaterworldreboot might be able to find new audiences after all. If nothing else, it may feel like a more timely story considering the current environmental crisis.
Waterworldis currently in development
