Summary
Despite receiving a lackluster response at the time of its release,Atlantis: The Lost Empirehas gone on to become a cult favorite among Disney animation fans. A large part of that is due to the contributions ofHellboycreatorMike Mignola,one of the film’s concept art directors whose work generally inspired the whole look of the film.
Released in the summer of 2001,Atlantis: The Lost Empirewas supposed to be Disney’s big animated blockbusterfor the year. A big step away from the fantasy musicals that defined the studio’s output in the 1990s,Atlantis: The Lost Empirewas a straightforward, sci-fi/action/adventure movie, with nary a song to be heard.
Owing to the classic adventure stories of Jules Verne and the Disney adaptation of20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the filmmakers used Mike Mignola’s work as a touchstone. The pulpy, old-world feel ofHellboyproved to be the perfect template for Disney’s steampunk adventure, andMignola’s angular style lent itself well to animation.
Mike Mignola’s Designs forAtlantis: The Lost EmpireAre a Treasure
While not as well-known at the time ofAtlantis: The Lost Empire’s release as he is today, Mignola already had a track record of working in Hollywood. Mignola was asked to contribute toBram Stoker’s Draculaafter director Francis Ford Coppola saw his artwork forthat film’s comic book adaptation, andMignola also provided art for a proposedNew Godsmovie for Warner Bros Animation in the late ’90s.Atlantis: The Lost Empirelooks like it stepped right off the pages of one of Mignola’s comics, making it one of the artist’s most significant works in his early Hollywood career.
While it was ambitious,Atlantis: The Lost Empireultimately proved to be a flop, with audiences gravitating towards the CGI animation seen inShrek.The movie slowly developed a cult following in the years since, as fans came to it later to appreciate the overall design and more serious storytelling. In that way,Atlantisshares a commonality with its production designer and chief visual inspiration.Mike Mignola now stands as one of the most successful comic book artistsof all time today, but for much of his early career, he was respected by his peers as opposed to being commercially successful.
“Atlantis: The Lost Empirelooks like it stepped right off the pages of one of Mignola’s comics, making it one of the artist’s most significant works in his early Hollywood career.”
Atlantis: The Lost Empire’s Cult Success Mirrors Mike Mignola’s Career
In the years sinceAtlantis: The Lost Empire’s release, Mike Mignola’s stature in pop culture has only grown.Hellboybecame a film franchise in its own right, with Mignola building his signature character into a multimedia empire comprised of not only comics, but video games, novels andeven audio dramas chronicling the adventures of the BPRDand all adjacent characters. It may have been a failure at the time, butAtlantis: The Lost Empire’scult success means the film found its fanbase over time thanks toMike Mignola’sclassic design.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Cast
The 2D-animated Disney movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire follows a linguist who leads an expedition to find the lost city of Atlantis and unlock its secrets. The 2001 sci-fi movie features an ensemble cast composed of Michael J. Fox as Milo Thatch and Cree Summer as Atlantian Princess Kida, as well as 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.
