Jeff Nichols is heading towards the release of his latest project, but the filmmaker is also looking back at one of his failed pitches in Hollywood.
Speaking with Happy Sad Confused podcast, Nichols talked about his pitch to Warner Bros. for an Aquaman film around a decade ago. While things never progressed beyond those early talks, it seems like the idea of crafting a film like this still lingers in his mind. But he knows this particular project was doomed from the start.
“Well, it was never even feasible,” he started. “I liked the older Aquaman, like when he had a harpoon for a hand. He was a fallen king, and his son had died, and he was in mourning.”
He tells the outlet, “I still have scenes from [‘Aquaman‘] in my head that would’ve been good. They would’ve been quite different from the film that was made.” Adding, “That stuff is fun to noodle on, but we got a lot of those movies now. There are a lot of stories in the world. It’s ok to spend time time telling some other ones.”
He quips sarcastically, “Obviously, from this brief pitch, you can see it would’ve sold hundreds of dollars worth of tickets.”
The filmmaker shouldn’t worry about selling tickets to his next film. After seven years, Nichols returns with The Bikeriders, a motorcycle gang drama starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, and Tom Hardy. After its initial festival screenings, the film saw rave reviews and debuted a powerful new first look. Check out the trailer below…
The Bikeriders is a furious drama following the rise of a fictional 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club through the lives of its members.
The Bikeriders opens in U.S. theatres on December 1st.
Originally published September 9, 2023. Updated September 10, 2023.
