Hoping to alter the events of the past, a 19th-century inventor instead travels 800,000 years into the future, where he finds mankind divided into two warring races.
Practical Effects
The actual time machine prop is gorgeous steampunk craftsmanship.
Visual Effects
That moon-exploding sequence? Unhinged and unforgettable.
Costume
Samantha Mumba's librarian-chic Eloi looks invented by a 2002 mall.
Director
Simon Wells
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Simon Wells is literally H.G. Wells' great-grandson, making this the most nepotistic adaptation in sci-fi history. He also had a breakdown from stress and Steven Spielberg had to step in for two weeks.
The 2002 film bombed so hard it killed the planned franchise, but its 'time travel as grief processing' angle actually predates similar themes in Interstellar and Arrival by over a decade.
US
