SyFy In Talks To Tempt Fate, Develop 'Waterworld' TV Series

Television

by Charlie Schmidlin
November 28, 2012 9:16 AM
1 Comment

A footnote of contention always appears around Kevin Costner's ambitious 1995 sci-fi “Waterworld,” in that despite its reputation as a legendary flop ($264 million worldwide box office on a $200+ million budget), the film itself is never quite as awful as the general word indicates, though at no point does it deliver anything other than an unhinged Dennis Hopper and empty spectacle. Now it seems one of cable's top channels are gearing up to give the property a second look.

Based off of the consistently strong numbers following the film's re-runs on their network, Syfy's higher-ups are currently deep in discussion over a sequel to “Waterworld,” either as a TV movie or series. It's unclear whether the new iteration would follow the Kevin Reynolds-helmed original, which centered around The Mariner (Costner) and his post-apocalyptic exploits across the flooded earth, or branch off into a new storyline. However, this wouldn't be the first time the network pulled such a property move; “Stargate,” another mildly successful sci-fi film, was turned into a Syfy show that still holds followers to this day.

The continuation of writers David Twohy and Peter Rader's sea-bound universe in concept isn't a horrible one, since for most the Costner film represents a kitschy genre failure, while for others it simply remains an entertaining Universal theme park extravaganza. Still, there isn't a showrunner or cast list attached at this early stage, but who knows, perhaps the renewed attention on the film will inspire a “Heaven's Gate”-esque Criterion inquiry into the troubled production while we wait. [Vulture]

Television

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1 Comment

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Piotr | November 28, 2012 11:21 AMReply

I think this is smart! In Hollywood pro circles, the movie is seen as a flop, but in the sci-fi world, it's seen as a good idea with poor execution. There's potential to nip a lot of excesses of the movie and focus in on the cool core concept. Do it SyFy! (and change that name, it makes your network sound dumb!)