Colin Trevorrow, director of Jurassic World and Jurassic World Dominion, is pursuing his next project, Atlantis, alongside House of the Dragon writer and co-executive producer Charmaine DeGraté. The film about the ancient lost city was originally in development at Universal, with Alien: Covenant writer Dante Harper set to pen the screenplay alongside Trevorrow as director. However, news about the project has been sparse since its initial announcement, with very little known about who was behind the film and what it would entail.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Trevorrow and DeGraté will be teaming up to revitalize Atlantis, using their decorated experience from Jurassic World and House of the Dragon respectively to craft a fantasy adventure film based on the lost city. Atlantis will now be produced by Skydance, with Harper no longer involved in the project. How DeGraté and Trevorrow will bring the film to life under Skydance's purview remains to be seen, as plot elements are still under wraps.
How Existing Movies Can Influence Atlantis
Trevorrow and DeGraté's experience in both science fiction and fantasy make them the perfect pairing for Atlantis. The duo is likely to be aided by the number of popular interpretations of Atlantis that have permeated film in recent decades. Two Disney animated films - 2001's Atlantis: The Lost Empire and 2003's Atlantis: Milo's Return - featured the mysteries surrounding the mythical lost city at their forefronts, introducing audiences to the concept through fantastical, animated adventures.
Since then, the concept of Atlantis has been explored primarily through live-action films that are part of large, popular franchises. 2018's Aquaman featured the titular character attempting to stop his brother, Orm, from using his power as king of Atlantis to take over other oceanic people, as well as the world beyond their waters. Aquaman imagined Atlantis as a secret underwater civilization instead of a long-gone fallen kingdom of the past, a concept that also influenced Marvel's Namor, whose own Atlantis was renamed Talokan in 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The influence of Atlantis as a lost city still remains in some films, though, with 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters featuring an ancient, sunken city that may have been influenced by the concept.
While it's still unclear how modern interpretations of Atlantis may influence Trevorrow and DeGraté's Atlantis, the duo's experience with Jurassic World and House of the Dragon respectively are strong indications the movie will be crafted with passion. It's possible the pair will decide to explore how Atlantis fell either through a story set during the times of the ancient civilization, or through an investigative mystery presented in the modern age. There is an abundance of creative routes Trevorrow and DeGraté could take with their Atlantis film, all of which will make for an adventurous experience on the big screen.
Source: THR