25 Years Later, a Criminally Underrated Disney Movie is Returning with a New Sequel Release

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Disney fans have a new reason to celebrate! A sequel is coming to a beloved, but often forgotten, animated movie from the early 2000s. While many consider Disney’s films from the 1960s to 1980s to be a low point, the years following the Disney Renaissance (1999-2008) weren’t much better. However, some of those films have gained a following over time. The Emperor’s New Groove has become increasingly popular, and Treasure Planet is now considered a hidden treasure by many Disney enthusiasts.

The film also has other strong qualities, but it marked a relatively quiet time for a studio known for consistently releasing successful movies. Like Treasure Planet, Atlantis: The Lost Empire didn’t get the recognition it deserved and was quickly forgotten. Now, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary, a sequel is coming in late 2026. Disney and Papercutz will publish a graphic novel, Atlantis: The Lost Empire Vol. 1 – The Curse of Kurok, in October. This is great news for fans who, like many, feel Atlantis deserves another look.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire Was Unfairly Underrated (& It Killed Great Plans)

Despite being a Disney film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire currently has a surprisingly low rating of 48% based on critics’ initial reviews, though audiences scored it a bit higher at 55%. As a Disney enthusiast, I’ve always felt these scores were unfair. The film came at a tricky time for Disney, which was still known for classic fairy tales. This action-packed, science fiction-leaning adventure was a departure from what people expected, and audiences weren’t quite prepared for it. However, Atlantis paved the way for later films like Treasure Planet and Lilo & Stitch, so it was an important first step for Disney into the sci-fi genre.

The upcoming graphic novel continues the story right after the movie. According to the publisher, Papercutz, Milo and Kida will work together to defend Atlantis when a new and dangerous monster appears. They’ll have to use their courage and intelligence to uncover hidden secrets beneath the city and overcome a mysterious challenge. To save Atlantis and the world around it, they’ll need to learn from ancient stories of the past.

This isn’t the first attempt at a sequel, though. Disney originally intended to create a spin-off series called Team Atlantis, described as a “steampunk X-Files,” and even planned crossovers with their 1990s show Gargoyles. There were also ideas for attractions at Disney parks. However, after the original movie didn’t do well with critics or at the box office, those plans were cancelled. In 2003, Disney quietly released a direct-to-video sequel called Atlantis: Milo’s Return, which essentially combined three episodes from the unreleased series. The new graphic novel seems to be skipping over that sequel, just like many Disney fans did at the time.

If you’re questioning whether people would be interested in this, consider the passionate Atlantis fan community. They organized a five-hour YouTube livestream to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary five years ago, and they’ve been waiting for something like this for a long time.

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2026-06-01 01:19