From out of nowhere, it seems the new big thing in Hollywood is the concept of underwater kingdoms. Think about it – first came DC’s Aquaman in 2018, which will soon be followed by next year’s sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. And that’s coming on the (winged) heels of Namor and the city of Talokan in Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Plus, we’ve got James Cameron’s own trip beneath the surface to come in this December’s Avatar: The Way of Water.
But that’s still not all of them as Disney is also dipping its toes into the pool with spring 2023’s The Little Mermaid remake that’ll return us under the sea to Ariel’s home of Atlantica. You might think that we’re already drowning in underwater-based tales, then, but knowing Hollywood, the various studios are bound to continue making movies of this type to keep on riding that wave until it crashes hard on the cinematic shore after ever-weakening box office returns.
So, seeing this as an inevitable outcome, we might as well use the situation to our advantage and start the campaign for Disney to make the next perfect live-action reboot to compliment this craze. Kids of the early aughts may be able to guess where we’re going with this. That’s right, let’s get a new version of 2001’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire off the ground. Not convinced? Well, what about if it starred Andrew Garfield in the lead? Now you can’t say no.
For those who’ve never seen it, or at least need a reminder, Atlantis was one of those more adventure-oriented Disney animated films the studio experimented with in the wake of the Renaissance era of the 1990s. Unfortunately, it didn’t set the world alight, although it luckily avoided the dishonor of being a catastrophic flop like spiritual sister movie Treasure Planet. Over 20 years later, Marvel and DC’s success in this arena proves that now is the right time to reintroduce the Lost Empire to the world.
Told with a strong flavor of Jules Verne, Atlantis follows geeky linguist Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox) as he discovers a sacred book that leads him and a submarine crewed by colorful mercenaries to the titular fabled kingdom. Like many Disney movies from its era, The Lost Empire has become a firm cult favorite and is beloved by many who would no doubt love to see it remade in live-action, which would honestly be a smoother transition than most considering its pre-existing cinematic scope.
As for casting, there’s no one better to bring Milo to three dimensions than Garfield. While we wait to see if Sony and Marvel can coax him back to play Peter 3 for a fourth time in some kind of Spider-Man project, the least Disney can do is hire him to play another endearingly geeky genius. In a recent interview with GQ, the British star admitted that he’s currently in between projects after an incredibly busy year, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect if Disney wanted to make this happen ASAP.
Besides the main role, Atlantis is also gifted with a memorable ensemble of characters that, best of all, is already impressively diverse for its time, with highlights including Latina teen mechanic Audrey (Isabela Merced maybe?) and African-American medic Sweet (Terry Crews could be fun). When it comes to Milo’s love interest — Atlantean warrior princess Kida — the playing field is more open, but actresses who spring to mind include Tessa Thompson, Zoe Kravitz, or Ella Balinska.
Rumors have swirled before about an Atlantis remake happening — with Tom Holland linked to the part of Milo — but honestly, we’ve already seen Holland given a crack at the whip with his own action-adventure franchise in the form of Uncharted, so maybe let’s have his fellow webslinger Garfield get a chance as well. And with Ryan Coogler admitting the original film was a big influence on Wakanda Forever‘s Talokan, maybe he can put his weight behind the project to get it going.
There might already be a flood of underwater-themed projects hitting screens, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more gems to be uncovered in the depths.
