Even though it’s been several years since the original Aquaman and the sequel has shifted release dates numerous times, director James Wan wants you to know Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be just fine.
In a recent sit-down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss the upcoming long-awaited release of the Aquaman sequel, the filmmaker dove into a few hot topics concerning the project. Wan feels the negativity around the ‘reshoots’ was too harsh, saying they had to shoot the film in sections due to the wild scheduling.
“We have big actors in this movie, and everyone’s schedule is really hard,” he said. “So, we had to break up our shooting schedule into sections. We’ll shoot a bit here now because this actor’s available, and then we’ll do another shoot now because this guy’s available. People are like, ‘Oh, they’re doing a whole bunch of different shoots!’ No. If we actually combined them all together, it’s actually not that many number of days at all.”
The film also had to see some retooling once James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as the co-chairs of DC Studios. Wan claims Gunn “weighed in” on the Aquaman sequel but adds, “I’ve known James since way back, right? We’re horror guys, so I’m definitely open to ideas. But, at the end of the day, this is my movie.”
One of the other things that came into play regarding how Gunn influenced the reshoot was the placement of the film in DC’s release schedule. With things shifting seemingly every day with the release of The Flash, it was hard to give the movie some universe connection. That’s why Gunn notes Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will exist independently.
SEE ALSO: DC’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom launches first trailer
“The tricky thing early on was not knowing whether Aquaman would come out first or come out after [The Flash]. So, we just had to be prepared,” Wan said. “At the end of the day, the best thing I would say about this movie is that it is not connected in any way to any of those films. That’s the bottom line.”
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time, Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family and the world from irreversible destruction.
All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arrives in cinemas on December 20th.
