«Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom» is an upcoming American superhero film. It’s the sequel to Aquaman, and the final installment in the DCEU.
Let’s find out more about the Aquaman’s sequel movie!
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC character Aquaman.
- Produced by DC Studios, Atomic Monster, and The Safran Company.
- It was set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures.
- It is the sequel to Aquaman (2018).
- It is the 15th installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
- It is the final film of the DCEU.
- The film is directed by James Wan from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, based on a story conceived by Wan, Johnson-McGoldrick, Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, and Jason Momoa.
- It stars Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman alongside Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Nicole Kidman.
- Momoa pitched a story for an Aquaman sequel during production of the first film.
- Wan did not want to rush a sequel but agreed in January 2019 to oversee development.
- Johnson-McGoldrick signed on to return as screenwriter a month later, and Wan was confirmed to be returning as director in August 2020.
- He said the film would expand on Aquaman’s worldbuilding.
- He announced the sequel’s title in June 2021.
- Filming began at the end of the month and concluded in January 2022, taking place in the United Kingdom, Hawaii, Los Angeles, and New Jersey, with additional filming in New Zealand.
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 22, 2023.
- Jason Momoa was the first to pitch a story for an Aquaman (2018) sequel, and he received a story credit, making him the sixth person to receive writing credit for a comic book superhero film that he also starred in.
- Marks Ben Affleck’s fifth and final appearance as Bruce Wayne/Batman, making him the actor with the most live action film appearances as the character.
- The film’s working title is “Necrus”. This is the name of an underwater kingdom in the Aquaman comics.
- Aquaman dons a blue stealth suit in this film, which carries the octopus-inspired ability to change color. The blue suit comes from the 1986 Aquaman comics.
- Despite working as a performer since the early 1980s, this film marks Nicole Kidman’s first movie sequel, in which she appeared in the previous entry.
- She previously appeared in the sequel Batman Forever (1995), but did not appear in the previous movie, nor the follow up.
- The sequel was announced a month after the release of Aquaman (2018).
- Black Manta dons a newer sleeker suit in this film, which is based on his Silver Age costume from the Aquaman comics.
- The last film in the DC Extended Universe to involve executive producer Walter Hamada following his resignation from DC Films in 2022.
- Aquaman’s seahorse steed Storm, from the comics and Aquaman (1967), appears in this film.
- Former DC Films president Walter Hamada wanted Michael Keaton’s Batman to be similar to Nick Fury, having cameos in multiple films, including Batgirl, The Flash (2023), and this film.
- However, reshoots shifted the schedule, and this film ended up being released after The Flash, so Keaton’s cameo was reshot with Ben Affleck.
- Karshon, better known in DC Comic history as the Shark, is the second shark being to appear in the DC Extended Universe after King Shark in The Suicide Squad (2021).
- This is the fourth DC movie released in 2023.
- The previous record holders were 2017 and 2022, with three each:
- Due to schedule conflicts, Willem Dafoe could not return as Vulko.
- Consequently, Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) takes his place as advisor in the film. According to the filmmakers, it made sense seeing as she never got to see him grow up and become the man he is today.
- Vincent Regan takes over the role of King Atlan from Graham McTavish, who portrayed the character in Aquaman (2018).The filmmakers compared Arthur and Orm’s relationship in this film to the banter between Jack Cates and Reggie Hammond in the “48 Hours” action comedy films: “They have no interest in being together, but they’re forced to team up.”
- Production designer Bill Brzeski cites the work of Ray Harryhausen, specifically his adventure films The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and Jason and the Argonauts (1963), as an influence on his work on this film.
- This is the first Aquaman film to be shot taller on 1.90:1 aspect ratio and third DC film to shot entirely taller with IMAX Cameras after The Suicide Squad (2021) and The Flash (2023). Unlike the predecessor, Aquaman (2018) it was shot on 2.39:1 as taller on IMAX version with 1.90:1.
- Vincent Regan had previously appeared in the BBC show Atlantis (2013).
- This is Vincent Regan’s third comic-book feature, after 300 (2006) and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011).
- Principal photography began at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in London on June 28, 2021, under the working title Necrus.
- Don Burgess returned as the cinematographer from the first film.
- Filming took place at Saunton Sands beach, Devon, in early September.
