The as of yet untitled Waterworld series - it will possibly just be called Waterworld again - will be a sequel to the film following the same characters, 20 years after the events seen in the original. Producer John Davis returns, making it clear he never quite gave up on the concept, and Dan Trachtenberg is set to direct, as reported by Collider.
While this will be a direct sequel, it isn’t clear whether any actors will be reprising their roles as older versions of the characters. In fact, this streaming Waterworld series is still super early in production. John Fox, producing partner of Davis, is also involved in the project, and shared some preliminary information. Universal Television is the studio behind the project, which should come as no surprise - Universal Pictures fielded the movie back in the day. At the time, Waterworld kicked up a storm for having been the most expensive film to produce, and only managed to turn an eventual profit on its $175 million budget thanks to home media releases and tie-in media. Since we’re this early on in production, cast members aren’t the only people Davis and Fox need to recruit - Waterworld doesn’t have a showrunner yet or other key creative talent. Right now, there are producers, a director, some springboard ideas, a green light from the studio and a lot of intent. Maybe with a longer show format, the Waterworld universe will be able to live up to its potential with this second chance.
