Kevin Costner’s 135-Minute Sci-Fi That Set An All-Time Budget Record Gets Official Streaming Update
Kevin Costner is a Hollywood veteran with an incredible filmography spanning decades. His movies are so diverse that he's captured the hearts of a multigenerational audience and is responsible for classics in multiple genres, with Waterworld being one of his best entries into the world of sci-fi.
Outside of movies, Costner is well known among TV audiences as John Dutton in Yellowstone. He has starred in the show since its inception in 2018. Costner has also featured in many lesser-known movies. He starred as an ex-con alongside Kurt Russell in 3000 Miles to Graceland in 2001. It's a polarizing action movie soaked in early-2000s charm, even if critics were not kind when it first entered theaters.
Audiences may know Costner for different roles based on their age or favorite genres. Still, whether you know him best as the Postman or as Superman's father, his contributions to the film industry cannot be understated. Costner is also particularly well known for a brave 90s sci-fi adventure movie which broke records. Those records weren't necessarily ones that film studios go out of their way to topple, but the title remains a strangely watchable '90s oddity. Audiences are also running out of time to experience the movie as part of their Netflix subscriptions.
Waterworld Is Leaving Netflix In September 2026
That record-breaking 90s oddity is Waterworld. The title was released in 1995, starring Kevin Costner as the Mariner. Waterworld had a bold premise, depicting a bleak future in which the polar ice caps have melted. Sea levels rose, and Earth was entirely submerged. Criminal quickly capitalized on the chaos, and the movie introduced audiences to the Smokers, a pirate-like faction led by Deacon (Dennis Hopper).
Most people living in Waterworld believe dry land is a myth, though the Mariner encounters a woman and her child who claim it's real and that they may know how to get there. It's a unique premise, and Waterworld is currently available to watch on Netflix. However, it's scheduled to leave the platform on August 31, and there may be a long wait before it returns.
Why Was Waterworld So Expensive?
Waterworld is an oddity for many reasons, but chief among them is its extraordinary budget, which made it one of the most expensive movies of its time. The movie reportedly took $264.2 million at the box office. However, the project had an estimated budget of $175 million. Typically, films need to make 2.5x their budget to be deemed a success, though every project has different margins.
We've already mentioned that Waterworld was an ambitious production, which caused costs to balloon. Much of the movie was shot on floating structures built for the title, and filming on the water posed unique challenges for the cast and crew. Poor weather was always a potential issue, and a hurricane famously destroyed some of the Waterworld set, which had to be rebuilt.
The production also relied heavily on practical effects, including real boats, stunt work, and explosions. Owing to challenging conditions, filming reportedly took three months longer than planned, further increasing production costs.
Why Waterworld Is Still Worth Watching
A troubled production doesn't immediately make a movie bad, and while many reviews are quite critical, it does still have a fanbase and redeeming qualities. One of the most obvious is that the effects and action sequences still hold up remarkably well thanks to that reliance on practical effects. Many intense scenes remain a spectacle because they feature real stunts, fireballs, and explosions.
It's also easy to appreciate the grand vision of Waterworld when you consider it was made more than three decades ago. The production feels like Mad Max on water in many ways, and the worldbuilding remains solid even if many aspects remain unexplained. We mentioned how beloved Kevin Costner was as an actor, and while most fans probably wouldn't say the Mariner was their favorite of his characters, he's still a great protagonist.
The Mariner isn't conversational and prefers to work alone, which makes his evolving relationship with Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and Enola (Tina Majorino) a highlight of the film. Hopper is also a fantastic villain as Deacon, spouting off some great one-liners. Waterworld is famous for how much it cost to make, but it's important to note that the production eventually became profitable thanks to its home-video release and other factors. It's worth watching out of curiosity, and don't be surprised if you stay until the end with a smile on your face.