A Huge Kevin Costner Movie Is Leaving Netflix, Watch While You Can
Netflix is about to leave this Kevin Costner movie behind. Stream it while you can.
This article is more than 2 years old
Waterworld is about to leave Netflix, so if you are craving a critically panned Kevin Costner flick, watch it while it is still available. There are actually a few other Costner-led films currently available on the streaming giant, so check those out too if you feel so inclined.
Waterworld features Kevin Costner as The Mariner, who navigates a distant future where the polar ice caps have completely melted and covered most of the Earth’s surface. It is an absurd premise made even more disappointing by poor performances and underdeveloped characters, but hey, it still has its fans.
Released in theaters on July 28, 1995, Kevin Costner’s ill-fated, post-apocalyptic epic proved a critical dud and a commercial failure, although it did eventually become profitable due to encouraging home video sales. Waterworld only earned $88 million domestically, but it performed much better in foreign markets. Its worldwide gross was $264 million, a meager return for a film that, at the time of its release, was the most expensive movie ever made. It obviously isn’t anymore, but back then, its budget was a massive deal. Now, though, Robert Downey Jr.’s Avengers salary is close to more than Waterworld cost to make.
Helmed by Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves director Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy, Waterworld stars Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tina Majorino, and Michael Jeter. If you have seen the movie, then you will know that the cast is not at their best, but they do give it an honest go.
Since his Waterworld days, Kevin Costner has been featured in quite a few high-profile TV and film projects. Most recently, he appeared in the wildly popular drama series Yellowstone, turning in a performance that earned him recognition from fans and critics alike. On the film side of things, he played a supporting role in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel—which he reprised in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice—and has also starred in movies such as Let Him Go, The Highwaymen, The Art of Racing in the Rain, The Man Who Saved The World, 3000 Miles To Graceland, The Untouchables, Chasing Dreams, and countless others.
Like most actors with decade-spanning careers, Kevin Costner has a filmography that’s a decidedly mixed bag. On one hand, he helped give us great films such as Dances With Wolves and The Untouchables (okay, a decent film). On the other, he has brought us duds such as Waterworld, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and an awful take on Jonathan Kent in the aforementioned Man of Steel.
Lackluster films aside, though, Kevin Costner has an incredible amount of talent to give the world. And for the most part, he has communicated that talent beautifully. He has had plenty of time to do so, after all. His performance as John Dutton in the Paramount Network show Yellowstone alone proves that. And while Waterworld will not help sell anyone on Costner as an actor, it will cement him in their memories as that guy who did a terrible movie and still enjoyed an incredibly successful career in the years that followed. In fact, his career post-Waterworld shows a marked improvement in the actor’s skill. As one would hope.
Kevin Costner’s talents have also earned him numerous awards. In 2012, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role in Hatfields and McCoys. He was also awarded a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie. In early 1990s, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his career-defining role as Lt. John J. Dunbar in Dances with Wolves. He has also been nominated for numerous MTV Movie Awards.
Not all of Kevin Costner’s awards have been particularly flattering, though. In 1992, he won the not-so-prestigious Golden Raspberry Award for his titular role in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Three years later, he won the same award for his role in Wyatt Earp. He was nominated for that award a number of times and won a handful of them.
Waterworld is scheduled to leave Netflix on May 1, which is super soon. Want to catch a cheesy Kevin Costner performance? Watch it while you still can!
