Originally published May 14, 2019. Updated May 15, 2019.
Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, revealed that he turned down the director’s job for Aquaman twice.
Aquaman, directed by James Wan, turned out to be a huge success, surpassing expectations around the world and accumulating a hefty box office sum. But what would the film have been like if Peter Jackson had directed the movie?
The Lord of the Rings helmer has revealed to Empire that he was offered a chance to direct Aquaman twice and twice he turned it down: “He said, ‘Are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ‘No.’ Six months later: ‘Peter, are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ’No, Kevin [Tsujihara], I already told you this.’ I’m not a superhero guy. I read Tintin… Look, films are hard. I only want to make something that I have a deep passion for.”
This certainly seems to have been the right move by Jackson. Directing a film you are not passionate about would not result in a movie that would please anyone and you can certainly see what Jackson is capable of when he passionate about books like The Lord of the Rings.
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Aquaman is directed by James Wan (The Conjuring) and stars Jason Momoa as the titular hero, reprising his role from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, along with Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master, Willem Dafoe as Dr. Vulko, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry, Ludi Lin as Murk, Michael Beach as Jesse Kane, Djimon Hounsou as the Fisherman King, Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin, Otis Dhanji as a young Arthur Curry, Julie Andrews as Karathen and Graham McTavish as King Atlan.
