The highly anticipated, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” movie is set to be released on Dec. 20th, 2023 after several alterations to the release date, due to production issues during COVID-19. Aquaman, starring Jason Mamoa, made its debut screening in the DC Universe Nov. 2018 and was received well among audiences and critics with a rating of 6.8/10 on IMDB. The original release date for the sequel was set for Dec. 2022, before it was pushed back to March 2023, and with a few more adjustments landed on a finalized release date of Dec. 20th, 2023.
The film will star Jason Mamoa, playing Arthur Curry who rules Atlantis, Patrick Wilson, as Curry’s brother, and Amber Heard as Mera, the daughter of King Nereus.
There was conversation of whether or not Heard would return to this role following the immensely public trial between her and Johnny Depp, however, it was revealed in footage from the 2023 CinemaCon, that she would, in fact, continue her role of Mera. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is because, as producer Peter Safran said in an interview with Deadline’s Hero Nation, “You gotta do what’s best for the movie.”
Although the original Aquaman was met with praise from fans and critics alike, the sequel may not fare as well. Insider, ViewerAnon, says that they’ve heard that, “it’s boring, not as good as the first, and potentially one of the worst DCEU movies.”
James Wan, Australian filmmaker, is rumored to have trouble with the production of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in addition to directing The Conjuring, Insidious, Saw and Aquaman. Reports reveal that Warner Bros. ordered reshoots and even spent time adjusting the story after initial shooting had already occurred.
According to an interview with Men's Health, Mamoa wrote the initial story treatment for the second Aquaman, however, to his disappointment, it was discarded in production, in favor of the current, working story.
Cast and crew hope for a successful box office run as the production budget was said to be just under $25 million.
Much of the plot of the new film is yet to be revealed, however, Fandango’s Erike Davis, and Aquaman 2 insider, revealed that the sequel will have Aquaman team up with his brother Orm to defeat their common enemy, Black Manta, who has acquired some kind of dark energy to increase his power.
It is anticipated that as per Warner Bros. agreement with popular streaming service, HBO Max, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom will be available for at-home streaming in mid-January of 2024.