The Lost City stars Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum becoming a blockbuster at the box office. Three weeks after it was released, it is still going strong, collecting over $200 million in gross revenues worldwide. The plot is set on a small island near an active volcano in the Atlantic ocean. It follows the inadvertent quest of Dr. Loretta Stage and Alan to find the “Crown of Fire”. Crown of Fire is an archaeological marvel of its time that the former has written about in her books, on the island as Abigail Fairfax, the billionaire media-mogul who told Loretta about it, tries to get to it first.
This explainer answers essential questions about the plot that had some intricate details that you might have missed. We also have dug deep to truly understand that wild ending and the mid-credits scene that had our minds blown once again.
What Exactly is the Crown of Fire?
The Crown rests with Princess Taha’s headdress at the Tomb of King Kalaman in the city of D that Farifax had found at Isla Hundida. The King was the first-ever person to have built a city in the Atlantic and was a genuinely revered man amongst his pupils. For his beloved Queen Taha, he made a crown with priceless shards of red that burnt bright in the sunshine like a flame. He looked for something all over the island, and with each fragment he found, he assembled to make a beautiful piece of jewelry for Taha. This is what Fairfax is after on the island. The only thing is that he does not know where the exact location of the Crown is. How will he find out? An excellent segue into the next important question answered from the plot.
Why does Fairfax Kidnap Loretta?
Before becoming this prominent romance novelist, Loretta Sage was a research scholar and Ph.D. candidate. Her thesis was a translation of the ancient language of D and the civilization that was lost with it. She also wrote about the Spanish colonization in the Atlantic, which gave her a pretty good understanding of their culture. While digging for the city from the tip that rose to the surface when the lava from the volcano flowed into the area, Fairfax also found a piece of a larger map that describes the location of Kalaman’s tomb. Naturally, Fairfax wants the Crown for its priceless material and cultural significance. He believes it rests in the Tomb itself. But the only problem is that the directions in that piece of the map are in the ancient language of the D people. This is why he kidnapped Loretta – to translate the map and get to the tomb.
How do Loretta and Alan find the location of the Crown?
Okay, so firstly, the Lovemore and Dash touch to the pair was nice. This meta element is always a joy for the audiences because we love pop culture references so much. It is also a funny way in which the two find the Tomb’s location. Remember the translation that Loretta did of the piece of parchment? It said, “King Kalaman and his treasure laid to rest in the well of endless tears.”
When she and Alan were waiting for the plane to arrive at the Inn, they thought they had found the police that’d help them. But instead, the police were Fairfax’s men; they danced to a song. The lady singing sang the song in the local language and mentioned the well of endless tears. It instantly struck Loretta, who knew the language and figured out that it was the sinkhole in the volcano where the Tomb was located.
What is the actual meaning of the Treasure?
Taha wanted to be alone and grieve for her husband. Just like Loretta. After he was buried in his tomb, she wanted it to be where no one else could see her. It was located so inside the volcano, far from anyone’s sight. Kalaman and Taha’s riches weren’t material: their love made their memory priceless. The “Crown” is a metaphor for their love. The actual treasure is their courtship and how they discovered in each other the true meaning of living a complete life.
‘The Lost City’ Ending Explained
Fairfax and the rest go to the volcano to search for the exact location of the crown. They finally find the Tomb of Kalaman near the endless waterfalls in an underground space inside the volcano. But when they open the tomb, they do not find it. As explained above, red seashells are what the crown was made up of. Fairfax is angry and relegates Alan and Loretta to die like the King and Queen in the Tomb as the volcano starts to erupt. They get in, but Rafi, Fairfax’s henchman, leaves a crowbar for them to jack it open. Rafi then leaves Fairfax in the cave and escapes with the boat, angry at his boss’ cruelty and disrespect for his culture.
Beth arrives in time with the police to arrest Fairfax. Alan and Loretta use the crowbar to open the Tomb. She also decides to move on from her husband;’s death by leaving her marriage ring in the Tomb. It is what the Tomb symbolizes. The pair are rescued by the boat, and Loretta goes on to write a bestseller about their adventure, titled The Crown of Fire. We also see Alan and Loretta share a kiss, meaning they are now together in a relationship and that she has finally moved on.
Does The Lost City film have a mid-credits scene?
Oh, yes! The Lost City has a hilarious scene mid-credits. We all let out a sigh of disappointment as Jack Trainer was shot right in the head when they were escaping from Fairfax’s camp. Then, just as we were warming up to this hilarious character, he was written off. In the mid-credits, however, it is revealed that Trainer is very much alive, now using the “other 10%” of his brain. He finds Loretta and Alan in a meditation class. Some anger issues and resentment for the big man to work on.
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