Atlantis concept art is a stunning look at Disney’s most underrated film

Although it received only moderate response at the time of its release, Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost World has become a cult favorite among Disney animation fans. Much of this is due to the contributions of Hellboy Creator Mike Mignola, one of the film’s concept art directors, whose work generally inspired the entire look of the film.

Published in summer 2001, Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost World was supposed to be Disney’s big animation blockbuster of the year. A big step away from the fantasy musicals that defined the studio’s output in the 1990s, Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost World was a straightforward sci-fi/action/adventure film that barely featured a song.

Thanks to the classic adventure stories of Jules Verne and the Disney adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seaserved as a model for the filmmakers Mike Mignola’s work. The pulpy, old-fashioned feel of Hellboy proved to be the perfect template for Disney’s steampunk adventures, and Mignola’s edgy style was well suited to the animation.

Mike Mignola’s designs for Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost World Are a treasure

Although it was not yet so well known at that time, Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost Worldpublication as it is today, Mignola already had a success story in Hollywood. Mignola was asked to contribute Bram Stoker’s Dracula after director Francis Ford Coppola saw his artwork for the comic adaptation of this film, and Mignola also provided artwork for a planned New Gods Film for Warner Bros Animation in the late 90s. Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost World looks as if it came straight from the pages of one of Mignola’s comic books, making it one of the artist’s most significant works of his early Hollywood career.

Although it was ambitious, Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost World ultimately proved to be a flop, as the audience was more interested in the CGI animation from Shrek. The film slowly developed into a cult following in the years that followed, as fans came along later to appreciate the overall design and the more serious narrative. In this way Atlantis has something in common with his production designer and main point of inspiration. Mike Mignola is now considered one of the most successful comic book artists of all time, but in the early years of his career he was respected by his peers rather than commercially successful.

Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost WorldThe cult success of reflects Mike Mignola’s career

In the years since then Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost WorldSince its release, Mike Mignola’s reputation in pop culture has only grown. Hellboy became a film franchise in its own right, with Mignola expanding his signature character into a multimedia empire that included not only comics, but also video games, novels and even radio plays chronicling the adventures of the BPRD and all the characters associated with it. It may have been a failure at the time, but Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost World‘S The cult success means that the film found its fan base over time, thanks to Mike Mignola’s classic design.

Atlantis: The Empire of the Lost World

The 2D-animated Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire is about a linguist who leads an expedition to find the lost city of Atlantis and uncover its secrets. The 2001 science fiction film features an ensemble cast including Michael J. Fox as Milo Thatch and Cree Summer as Atlantean princess Kida, with James Garner, Don Novello, Phil Morris, Jacqueline Obradors, Claudia Christian, Florence Stanley, Leonard Nimoy, David Ogden Stiers, John Mahoney, Jim Varney and Corey Burton in supporting roles.

director

Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

Release date

June 2, 2001

Studio(s)

Disney

Sales Partner

Disney

Authors

Tab Murphy, Plato, David Reynolds, Gary Trousdale, Joss Whedon, Kirk Wise

Pour

Michael J. Fox, Corey Burton, Claudia Christian, James Garner, John Mahoney, Phil Morris

Duration

95 minutes

budget

90-120 million US dollars

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