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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
At this point, it is not surprising that Disney is trying to bring back its cult-classic animated films to the big screen in live-action form. From its princess films to Dumbo, Aladdin, and The Lion King last year, and earlier this year, the announcement of Lilo and Stitch, the multi-billion dollar company refuses to go out with the old and in with the new.
What fans — especially those born in the 1990s — have long desired are live-action adaptations of Disney films from the early-2000s: Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet. In a report by Caitlin Tyrrell at The Illuminerdi, the former is in the works, so now Lilo and Stitch will not be the only adventure family film to celebrate the ocean.
Unlike other Disney properties at the time, Atlantis: The Lost Empire was not a musical but rather an action-adventure film by the company and its first science-fiction film at that. Released in June 2001, it was directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, who both co-directed and collaborated on Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and was written by Tab Murphy, who also wrote Hunchback as well as Tarzan, Brother Bear, and went on to work at Warner Brothers Animation for a while after.
Hellboy creator Michael Mignola served as the production designer, giving the film a unique visual touch; Mignola has also worked on Batman: The Animated Series, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Blade II, and Pixar’s Brave. His animation on Atlantis was highly praised.
With Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future) voicing the linguist/cartographer protagonist Milo James Thatch, the film centered on a group of remarkable mercenaries in 1914 traveling to and exploring the lost city of Atlantis, where they discover an ancient civilization with advanced technologies. With the success of 2018’s Black Panther in soundtrack, storytelling, and casting, Disney can definitely achieve the same feats during the production of this project.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire was nominated for a number of awards and won Best Sound Editing at the 2002 Golden Reel Awards, and since the time of its release, it has earned its title as a cult classic. It is a must-watch indeed!
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Source: The Illuminerdi
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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