Interestingly enough, Wells reached out to the long-time movie star around the time of the film’s 20th anniversary to express remorse over “hammering pretty hard” on the project. It wasn’t.” The actor went on to add, “… the movie with all its imperfections was a joy for me … a joy to look back upon and to have participated in.” In a recent interview with former Entertainment Weekly Writer and Current Blogger Jeff Wells, Costner said “I know that people might think of Waterworld as a low point for me. But Kevin Costner isn’t embarrassed by the film - not in the least.
When a project is perceived this way, those involved tend to run (quickly) in the other direction. As a result, the film was branded as a major flop and is now cited as a cautionary tale. While it redeemed itself somewhat in foreign markets, earning just under $176 million outside of the U.S., it took in far less than expected and - with all costs considered - Waterworld barely broke even.
The film was budgeted at an obscene $175 million dollars (a record at the time) and grossed just $88 million domestically. Kevin Costner’s Waterworld checks all of the cult-classic boxes: It under-performed at the box-office, the story is quirky and complicated, and it has a relatively small, fiercely-devoted following that insists the movie is a misunderstood masterpiece.