| Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | James Wan |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by |
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| Based on | Characters fromDC |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Don Burgess |
| Edited by | Kirk Morri |
| Music by | Rupert Gregson-Williams |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 124 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $205–215 million[3][4] |
| Box office | $440.2 million[5][6] |
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a 2023 Americansuperhero film based on theDC Comics characterAquaman. Directed byJames Wan from a screenplay byDavid Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, it is the sequel toAquaman (2018) and the 15th and final film in theDC Extended Universe (DCEU).Jason Momoa stars asArthur Curry / Aquaman, who must work with his half-brotherOrm (Patrick Wilson) to preventBlack Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) from killing his family and using the cursed Black Trident to overheat the world while searching for the lost seventh kingdom of the seas.Amber Heard,Randall Park,Dolph Lundgren,Temuera Morrison,Martin Short, andNicole Kidman also star in supporting roles.
Momoa pitched a story for anAquaman sequel during the first film's production. Wan did not want to rush a sequel after the first film's commercial success 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 onAquaman'sworldbuilding, have a more serious tone, and feature themes such asclimate change. It is abuddy comedy between Aquaman and Orm, and was inspired by theSilver Age of Comic Books with a retro science fiction vibe similar to the works of animatorRay Harryhausen and thehorror films of the 1960s, specificallyPlanet of the Vampires (1965). Wan announced the sequel's title in June 2021, andprincipal photography began later that month and concluded in January 2022. Filming took place in the United Kingdom, Hawaii, Los Angeles, and New Jersey, with additional filming in New Zealand. Severalreshoots took place between July 2022 and June 2023 to alter the storyline while some actors' roles were reduced, including Heard's whose involvement was the subject of controversy during production.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom premiered at a fan event atthe Grove, Los Angeles on December 19, 2023, and was released in the United States on December 22. The film received negative reviews from critics and grossed $440 million worldwide against a production budget of $205–215 million.
Four years after becoming king ofAtlantis,[a]Arthur Curry has marriedMera and has a son,Arthur Jr., while splitting his life between land and sea. Meanwhile,David Kane / Black Manta continues to seek revenge against Arthur for his father's death, working with marine biologistStephen Shin to findAtlantean artifacts. When Shin accidentally discovers a cavern inAntarctica, Manta finds a Black Trident that possesses him, its creator promising to give him the power to destroy Arthur and Atlantis. Five months later, Manta breaks into anOrichalcum reserve on Atlantis to steal them to power his Atlantean machines that are of ancient origin but are of unknown design to modern Atlanteans. Caught midway, they are chased by Atlantean forces, with Mera injured in the ensuing battle. Arthur learns that this usage of Orichalcum, which emits high quantities ofgreenhouse gases, has not only raised planetary temperatures and causedextreme weather andocean acidification. It also nearly caused a planetary extinction in the past, when used by an ancient Atlantean kingdom.
To learn where Manta is hiding, Arthur breaks his half-brotherOrm out of prison. Together, they visit apirate haven called the Sunken Citadel, meeting Kingfish to learn of Manta's whereabouts. The information they obtain leads them to avolcanic island in theSouth Pacific, where they battle Manta's forces after getting themselves through flora and fauna mutated by the Orichalcum. There, when Orm touches the Black Trident, it shows him visions of its provenance. Orm learns the trident was created byKordax, the brother ofKing Atlan and ruler of the lost kingdom of Necrus. He was imprisoned withblood magic following a failed attempt to usurp the throne. Realizing the blood of any of Atlan's descendants could release Kordax; the pair deduce Manta has kidnapped Arthur Jr. With Shin's help, the Atlanteans determine that Kordax's prison and the lost kingdom of Necrus are located in Antarctica.
In Necrus, Arthur fights Manta and is almost killed before Mera arrives and saves him. Manta throws the Black Trident at her as she is taking her son to safety, but Orm catches it before it strikes her. The spirit of Kordax leaves Manta for Orm, who proceeds to fight Arthur and uses Arthur's blood to free Kordax. Arthur convinces his brother to give up his hatred for him, allowing him to destroy both Kordax and the Black Trident. With Kordax's magic vanishing, Necrus starts to collapse. Manta refuses Arthur's help, allowing himself to fall into afissure. The Atlanteans and Shin safely escape and determine that Orm has redeemed himself. Arthur and Mera plan to inform Atlantis that he died on the condition that he remains hidden, vacating to the surface world. Believing the unification of the underwater kingdoms and the surface world is necessary to prevent further damage to the oceans and planet, Arthur reveals Atlantis' existence through an announcement at theUnited Nations, declaring his intentions of making the kingdom amember state.
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New additions to the cast areVincent Regan asAtlan, the first king of Atlantis, replacingGraham McTavish from the first film;[27] Jani Zhao asStingray, a loyal member of Black Manta's crew;[27][19]Indya Moore asKarshon,[27] an Atlantean and the leader of the High Council of theSeven Kingdoms who serves as apolitical barrier for Arthur by opposing his desire to reveal Atlantis to the human world;[19][16][34] andPilou Asbæk asKordax, the undead king of the lost kingdom of Necrus, the Black City, who was Atlan's brother and the creator of the cursed Black Trident, through which Kordax's evil spirit possesses Black Manta.[35][36][16] Karshon is not ahumanoid shark character as depicted in the comics,[34] while this version of Kordax is acomposite character of theoriginal comics' version andOrin, which was the name of Atlan's brother and Aquaman in some comic iterations.[35][16]
Underwater creatures of the Seven Kingdoms returning from the first film are the Brine King, voiced byJohn Rhys-Davies and physically portrayed on-set byAndrew Crawford;[37][38]Storm, a giantseahorse and Arthur'ssteed;[39][8] and the octopusT.O.P.O., which stands for "Tactical Observation and Pursuit Operative",[40] who is a tacticalcovert operative for Atlantis that aids Arthur in freeing Orm and on their quest, in addition to playing several instruments, such as the drums.[18][41][42][16] Wan said T.O.P.O., who was created through visual effects, was a "real character" in the film after briefly appearing in the first film, with an undisclosed actor occasionally standing in for T.O.P.O. with a stick puppet for Momoa to act against.[41] The director described the character and Arthur as having a fun slightly antagonistic relationship, while Momoa said T.O.P.O. added a lot of comedy which complemented Arthur being "very salty".[42] Various infants portray Arthur and Mera's sonArthur Jr., who has similar water-based abilities as his parents.[25][43] Safran's wife Natalia makes acameo appearance as a member of the High Council,[44] whileMichael Beach appears uncredited as Black Manta's fatherJesse Kane througharchive footage from the first film.[44][45] Beach was approached to film some flashback scenes but was unavailable due to scheduling issues.[45]
During the production ofAquaman (2018), starJason Momoa developed a storypitch for a sequel that he gave toWarner Bros. Pictures Group chairmanToby Emmerich and producerPeter Safran. In October 2018, before the film's release, Momoa said he would be more involved in the development of a potential sequel and expected filming to begin in 2019. DirectorJames Wan said several storylines could spin out fromAquaman, with that film introducingseven underwater kingdoms that had yet to be fully explored.[11][48] Momoa and his producing partner Brian Mendoza wrote a 50-pagetreatment for the sequel, which Warner Bros. bought but did not entirely follow,[13] and the actor was paid $15 million for his involvement.[49] Emmerich had enough confidence in box office projections for the film by early December to begin discussing a sequel.[50] By the end of January 2019, whenAquaman was set to become the highest-grossing film based on a singleDC Comics character, Warner Bros. was in negotiations with Wan to oversee the development and writing of a sequel with the potential to return as director. Geoff Boucher ofDeadline Hollywood noted that Wan had been very protective of sequels to his previous filmsInsidious (2010) andThe Conjuring (2013), and was "deeply invested" in theworldbuilding ofAquaman. Wan had previously compared the world ofAquaman to other fictional worlds such asMiddle-earth, theStar Wars galaxy, and theWizarding World.[51]
In early February 2019, Warner Bros. hired Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald to write the script for a "horror-tinged"Aquaman spin-off film titledThe Trench, based on one of the kingdoms introduced in the first film. It was expected to have a smaller budget and not feature the main cast ofAquaman, with Wan and Safran producing. Borys Kit ofThe Hollywood Reporter reported then that there had not yet been serious discussions about a direct sequel toAquaman between the studio, Wan, and Momoa, due to them wanting to have a "breather" first,[52] but several days later he reported that active development on a sequel was getting underway with the first film's co-writer, and frequent Wan collaborator,David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick signing on to write the screenplay. Wan and Safran were producing the sequel, however, it was still unclear if Wan would direct it.[53] At the end of February, Warner Bros. scheduledAquaman 2 for release on December 16, 2022.[54] The next month, Safran explained that he and Wan did not want to rush a sequel, and Warner Bros. had been supportive of that, which is why the film's release was scheduled for four years after the first film. He added that they were approaching theAquaman franchise similarly toThe Conjuring Universe, with spin-offs likeThe Trench exploring stories about the underwater kingdoms alongside the "mothership" films featuringAquaman. Safran said Wan knew "the architecture, the armory, the military, the look, the feel, [and] the general vibe" of each of the seven kingdoms and wanted to explore them all in future projects.[47]
In July 2019, Wan was set to direct the filmMalignant (2021) before beginning work onAquaman 2.[55]Patrick Wilson said in November that he had discussed plans for the sequel with Wan and indicated that he would be reprising his role asOrm Marius / Ocean Master from the first film.[56] A month later,Yahya Abdul-Mateen II confirmed that he was returning asDavid Kane / Black Manta, and was looking to flesh out the character.[21] Johnson-McGoldrick stated in March 2020 that the sequel would not be based on a specific comic book, but was taking inspiration from theAquaman stories of theSilver Age of Comic Books that featured Black Manta as the villain.[57] Wan was confirmed to be directing the sequel at the virtualDC FanDome event in August,[46] when Wilson was also confirmed to return.[58] Wan said it would be more serious than the first film and feature themes that were more relevant to the real world,[46] such asclimate change. He said the creatives were not afraid to address this in a big way through the film, citing that the Aquaman character is environmentally conscious in the comic books and fights to keep the ocean clean. He also affirmed that the film would remain a "fun action-fantasy movie".[59] Momoa said a scene was featured in the film in which Aquaman addresses theUnited Nations on climate change, with the actor having previously done so at the UN'sOcean Conference.[60] Wan added that the film would include more worldbuilding and exploration of the underwater kingdoms,[46] and would feature some horror elements similar to the Trench sequence in the first film.[61] Being able to expand on the worldbuilding of the first film was one of the key reasons that Wan chose to direct the sequel, along with Johnson-McGoldrick's script which Wan felt had a "really cool story to bring all these characters back, and then growing them in a big way".[62] Safran felt embracing the mythic nature of the Aquaman character and pairing that with the film's worldbuilding and visual storytelling made the film compelling,[14] and he and Momoa both believed the film's humor exceeded that of the first film,[60][8] while Wan said Aquaman was at the center of the film with his charm and humor.[14]
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Amber Heard debunked rumors in November 2020 that she would not be reprising her role asMera from the first film following allegations of domestic abuse made against her by her ex-husbandJohnny Depp. That month, a petition to have Heard fired from the franchise received more than 1.5 million signatures, and came after Warner Bros. removed Depp fromFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) when allegations made byThe Sun that Depp abused Heard were ruled to be "substantially true" in the defamation lawsuitDepp v News Group Newspapers Ltd, filed againstThe Sun's owner.[17][63] Safran said they never considered making the film without Heard and would not react to the "pure fan pressure" of the petition and other social media conversations.[64] However, Heard later stated, during a second defamation trial inDepp v. Heard that was brought against her by Depp over a column inThe Washington Post, that "they didn't want to include" her in the film, and that she had to fight to keep her part. She claimed that revisions were made to the script that reduced her role to a "very pared down version", including removing action sequences for her character, and she was unable to renegotiate heroption contract that stipulated she would earn $2 million for the sequel, which was double what she made for the first film.[65][66][67] By that point, in May 2022, the petition to have Heard removed from the film had received more than four million signatures.[65]
DC Films presidentWalter Hamadatestified during Depp and Heard's defamation trial that the studio did consider recasting Mera, but this was due to concerns over Heard's lack of chemistry with Momoa rather than the abuse allegations. He added that it was the studio's philosophy to "hold people to their options" and not to renegotiate contracts, and said the size of Heard's role had not changed during the sequel's development. Hamada explained that the film was always intended to be abuddy comedy that focused on the relationship between Aquaman and Orm.[68][69] Safran compared this relationship to that ofNick Nolte andEddie Murphy's characters in the film48 Hrs. (1982), while Wan said the film was written as a "bromance action-adventure" story focused on that relationship with the two brothers "overcoming their differences to save the world", compared to the first film which focused on Aquaman's relationship with Mera.[8][14] Tatiana Siegel atVariety reported that Heard had been "nearly fired" from the sequel after the first film's release due to the chemistry concerns, but these plans were abandoned after her ex-boyfriendElon Musk intervened. Siegel also reported that the "lack-of-chemistry narrative" had been disputed, citing that Heard had performed achemistry test with Momoa on the first film and had been cast over two other actresses, includingAbbey Lee. Heard described her experience with Momoa and Wan on the film's set as hostile, which was refuted by a DC spokesperson who called the production positive and collaborative.[4]Depp v. Heard's jury ultimately found that both Heard and Depp defamed each other, with Heard having defamed Depp on three counts and Depp having defamed her on one count.[70] Social media responses to the trial heavily favored Depp over Heard, with several memes and videos "mocking her testimony". In June 2022, reports emerged that Heard had been fired from the film following the trial, but these were also debunked.[71] Heard ultimately appeared for around 20 minutes in the film,[72] with two of her scenes – a fight sequence with Black Manta and a love scene with Momoa — reportedly cut during production.[4] Several commentators noted upon the film's release that many of Heard's scenes had been removed and that the remaining scenes appeared to be "clunky" and "awkward".[72] ActorDolph Lundgren, who portrays Mera's fatherNereus, later said that he and Heard had larger roles in theoriginal cut and script before they were reduced duringreshoots.[20][73]
In February 2021, Lundgren said he was reprising his role as Nereus in the sequel, with filming expected to begin later that year in London.[28] A month later, the planned start date for filming was revealed to be in June, although, there was potential for this to be impacted by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[74] Richard Sale was also revealed to be serving as the costume designer, after previously serving as an assistant costume designer on DC'sWonder Woman 1984 (2020).[74][75]IWC Schaffhausen created red and blue glowingSuper-LumiNova prop watches for the film, which were worn by Abdul-Mateen II andRandall Park.[76] In April, Warner Bros. and DC announced that development onThe Trench was no longer moving forward, with the studios not having room for the spin-off on their slate of films and believingAquaman 2 to be enough of an expansion of the franchise for the time being;[77] Wan later revealed thatThe Trench had been theworking title and a misdirect for a planned Black Manta film.[26] Later that month,Pilou Asbæk entered talks to join the film's cast.[78] Momoa said in May that he would begin filming in July,[79] and Wan announced a month later that the sequel was titledAquaman and the Lost Kingdom,[80] whileTemuera Morrison confirmed his return as Aquaman's fatherThomas Curry.[29]Willem Dafoe was also reported to be reprising his role asNuidis Vulko from the first film,[81][82] but he ultimately did not appear, which Wan attributed to scheduling conflicts. The director felt that Vulko's absence allowed for Atlanna's role to be expanded as her son's advisor on how the underwater world works.[10]
Principal photography began on June 28, 2021,[83] using five stages and thebacklot atWarner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Watford, England, alongside an externalwater tank.[84] Filming used the working titleNecrus,[74] referring to the lost underwater kingdom of Necrus,[74][35][85][86] which is featured in the film.[35] Necrus, also known as "the Black City", debuted inAquaman #30 (1966) as an unstable underwater city rivaling Atlantis that cannot be in the same location twice and originated from an alien satellite.[87][74][85][86] Wan said it was fun designing the lost kingdom of Necrus, detailing it as a society with various vehicles and weapons, such as the one-man operated machines called the Octobots that move in-and-out of water which Orm encounters. For the kingdom's design, he was inspired by theAquaman comics from the Silver Age of Comic Books in the 1960s and their retro vibe.[8][14] Wan feltAntarctica and its landscape was familiar while remaining largely unvisited by much of the world, which allowed him to explore a heightened version of it in the lost kingdom. For the lost kingdom, the creatives incorporated ancientAtlantean technology that was more advanced than typical modern technology used by humans and incorporated it in the uniforms and weapons of Black Manta's crew, his colossal submarine, and the Octobots. The kingdom featured a retro sci-fi look similar to what the Silver Age comics in the 1950s believed the future would have looked like, evoking a different age but with a modern spin.[14]
Many of the crew members returned from the first film,[75][14] includingDon Burgess as the cinematographer and Bill Brzeski as production designer,[88][75] with the latter serving alongsideSahby Mehalla.[1] The special effects and visual effects crew invented new technology and VFX rigs for the underwater scenes in the film so it would be easier for the actors to shoot their scenes, with 100 cameras capturing the performances and action scenes, which was then applied to 3D versions of the actors. This new setup came after Wan found the rigging system used for the first film to be complex, and because its equipment caused physical pain for the actors. Wan believed the new setup was more versatile and safe.[89][90] Wan said the creatives wanted the sequel to provide a more immersive and exciting experience for audiences while expanding the story and characters, and explained that the depiction of Atlantis in the film was expanded upon from the first film by providing the city depths, residential areas, and an area inspired byTimes Square, while also exploring some of its politics. Atlantis was also given more color and vibrancy.[14] Safran felt the different look and feel of Atlantis was still anchored in what audiences liked from the first film, while still feeling fresh and new, highlighting Wan's ability to capture the fantasy and colors of the new worlds being explored. To create the various underwater worlds and creatures, Wan and the creatives transitioned away from theblue screen method used on the first film, and instead used the new Eyeline Studio technology, which saw the actors in circular booths surrounded by 136 cameras, which producer Rob Cowan said changed the creative and practical methods of shooting the film.[14]
In August 2021, Wan said the sequel was strongly influenced by the filmPlanet of the Vampires (1965),[91] as well as "old-schoolEuro-horror" and thestop motion monsters created by animatorRay Harryhausen. He said the film had a "very retro" look similar to thehorror films of the 1960s, and featured unsettling mechanical creatures which had an "old-school sci-fi and horror" feeling, which was connected to Black Manta's role in the film.[92] Brzeski compared the film to Harryhausen's work on the filmsThe 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) andJason and the Argonauts (1963) for being afantastical adventure with a "great quest and monsters",[8] such as theDeserter tribe which are located in theSahara desert and evolved intovampiric creatures by relying on blood for moisture,[16] while incorporating issues modern audiences could relate to.[8] Wilson said they pushed the fight scenes and stunts further than the first film in addition to exploring the characters' relationships. He also revealed that the characterT.O.P.O., an octopus playing drums, appears in the film.[93] Wan said that following the positive reception to T.O.P.O.'s brief appearance in the first film, he and Johnson-McGoldrick decided to give the character a significant role in the sequel,[39] and believed the inclusion of T.O.P.O. and other creatures from the Aquaman comics allowed audiences to know they were embracing the character's fictional world.[39]
Location shooting took place in early September 2021 at theSaunton Sands beach inDevon,[84][94] as well as atPiccadilly in theCity of Westminster, London,[84] and inJersey City, New Jersey that year.[95] Later that month, Asbæk's casting was confirmed,[96] portrayingKordax, the undead king of Necrus.[35][36] At this time, Randall Park was revealed to be returning from the first film as Dr.Stephen Shin, while the following actors joined the cast:Vincent Regan as the ancient kingAtlan, replacingGraham McTavish who briefly portrayed the character in the first film; Jani Zhao as Stingray, an original character for the film, in her first English-language feature role; andIndya Moore asKarshon.[27] After shooting 95 percent of the film in the United Kingdom,[97] production moved to Hawaii for on-location shooting until December 9.[98][95]Nicole Kidman was confirmed to have reprised her role as Aquaman's motherAtlanna shortly after that.[32] Filming then moved to Los Angeles, and officiallywrapped on January 12, 2022, inMalibu.[97] Filming was completed on time and under budget, and reportedly needed around a week ofreshoots.[4]
Warner Bros. adjusted its release schedule in March 2022 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workload of visual effects vendors.Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was moved to March 17, 2023, andThe Flash was also moved from 2022 to 2023, to allow time for their visual effects work to be completed, whileShazam! Fury of the Gods was moved up to this film's previous release date because it would be ready for release earlier.[99] Wan said that while he preferred the Christmas release timeframe for the film, he was thankful for this delay because it allowed for more time to work on the visual effects and its new technology, which he called groundbreaking, and said the film would not have made its prior release date.[100][101] He had also been working on hisdirector's cut at this time.[101] Wilson also said that new VFX techniques were used forThe Lost Kingdom andThe Flash.[93] In April 2022,Discovery, Inc. and WarnerMedia merged to becomeWarner Bros. Discovery (WBD), led by president and CEODavid Zaslav. The new company was expected to restructureDC Entertainment and Zaslav began searching for an equivalent toMarvel Studios presidentKevin Feige to lead the new subsidiary.[102] That June, the final writing credits for the film were revealed: Johnson-McGoldrick received screenplay credit, while the duos of Wan and Johnson-McGoldrick, and Momoa and his producing partner Thomas Pa'a Sibbett received story credit.[103][13]
The film received severaltest screenings in mid-2022 that were met with mixed results, which continued after it was recut around then, prompting a new cut to be made. Two rounds of reshoots then took place between mid-2022 and the start of 2023, with Warner Bros. film chairsMichael De Luca andPamela Abdy involved in editing the film.[104][4] Momoa revealed in July 2022 thatBen Affleck was reprising hisDC Extended Universe (DCEU) role ofBruce Wayne / Batman for reshoots on theWarner Bros. Studios backlot inBurbank, California.[105] Aaron Couch ofThe Hollywood Reporter reported soon after thatMichael Keaton had filmed a scene as his version ofBruce Wayne / Batman from directorTim Burton'sBatman (1989) andBatman Returns (1992). Keaton's version was set to be introduced to the DCEU inThe Flash before that film's release was pushed to afterAquaman and the Lost Kingdom's. The scene reportedly confused audiences during test screenings, and Couch felt this was why Affleck joined the reshoots.[106] In August, Warner Bros. delayed the film to December 25, 2023, to help spread out the marketing and distribution costs for its feature films.[107] This pushed the film's release to after the planned release ofThe Flash, which meant there was potential for Keaton's version of Batman to appear in the film instead of Affleck's.[108] Keaton's cameo had reportedly been cut from the film by October.[109] Around that time, De Luca and Abdy told Wan to reduce the budget for the reshoots because the film's budget had reached $205 million during production.[110] Safran and writer/directorJames Gunn were hired as the co-chairmen and co-CEOs of the newly formedDC Studios at the end of the month.[111] A week after starting their new roles, the pair had begun developing an eight-to-ten-year plan for a new franchise called theDC Universe (DCU) that would be asoft reboot of the DCEU.[112][113] By mid-November, Safran had been "fixing"The Lost Kingdom,[114] while Gunn had provided notes on it by the following month.[115] Momoa said in January 2023 that he had shot scenes with a couple of actors as Batman, but was unsure which would be included in thefinal cut.[116] After further test screenings in early 2023, Gunn consulted on the film.[104] In April, the film's release date was moved forward five days earlier to December 20, 2023.[117] The reshoots had concluded just before the2023 Writers Guild of America strike began early the following month,[4] and the studios approached a third set of reshoots – which increased the film's budget – to occur in New Zealand over five days in mid-June with Momoa and Wilson. Those reshoots were completed in four days. By then, both Affleck and Keaton were excluded from the latest cut of the film due to Gunn and Safran's plans for the DCU;[104] neither actor appeared in the final version of the film.[118] Following the reshoots, the film's budget ultimately reached $215 million.[4]
| External videos | |
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 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom / Main on End Title Sequence / Filmograph presents the film's main-on-end title sequence,Vimeo video from Filmograph's channel |
Explaining the reshoots, Wan said he had to make some adjustments during production as it had been challenging to keep track of the different versions of the DCEU while remaining mindful of other plans for the franchise, but was fortunate that theAquaman films were "far removed" from the rest of the DCEU films and characters.[59] In September, the director said the film would not be connected to any previous DCEU films as he was uncertain if it was going to be released before or afterThe Flash, which was intended to reboot the DCEU.[8] He explained that he had directed a relatively small amount of additional photography, which he described as a routine part of the production process, due to some actors being unavailable during some parts of principal photography.[8] Lundgren later said that the studio decided to reshoot much of the footage to rebuild it with a slightly different storyline, reducing his and Heard's roles.[20][73] In October 2023, the film's release was delayed by two days to December 22, 2023.[119] The following month, Warner Bros. signed a new multi-year co-financing deal with Domain Capital for their theatrical films, includingThe Lost Kingdom, through that company's $700 million fund for media and entertainment, Domain Entertainment.[120][121] Kirk Morri returned as the editor from the first film,[36][75] andNick Davis served as the visual effects supervisor, having previously worked onThe Dark Knight (2008).[75] Nearly each frame in the film featured visual effects,[101][104] which were provided byCinesite,DNEG,Industrial Light & Magic (ILM),Moving Picture Company (MPC),Scanline VFX,[122] andRodeo FX.[123]
Rupert Gregson-Williams revealed in August 2021 that he was returning to compose the score for the sequel after doing so for the first film and DC'sWonder Woman (2017).[124] The song "Deep End" was performed byX Ambassadors and released as a single on November 17, 2023.[125] The soundtrack album for Gregson-Williams' score was released byWaterTower Music on December 22.[126]
Wan and Wilson teased plans for the film in a panel at the virtualDC FanDome event in August 2020.[46] Concept art and behind-the-scenes footage from filming were revealed at DC FanDome the following year.[22] In February 2022, the first footage from the film was released as part of a teaser for Warner Bros.' 2022 slate of DC films, which also includedThe Batman,Black Adam, andThe Flash (beforeAquaman and the Lost Kingdom andThe Flash were delayed to 2023 the following month).[127][99] Wan promoted the film at Warner Bros.'CinemaCon panel in April 2022, showing a recorded message of Momoa as well as some brief footage from the film.[128] He revealed more concept art for the film when its release date was delayed in August.[108]
The first trailer was showcased during Warner Bros.' CinemaCon panel in April 2023, showing the "bromance" between Arthur and Orm among other footage.[129] Steve Weintraub atCollider said the footage looked "absolutely massive in scale" and featured several action sequences.[23] The first theatrical trailer was released on September 14, 2023.[130] The cast was not able to participate in marketing during the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike,[4] until the strike ended in November.[131]IWC Schaffhausen, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures, released an Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Monthdiving watch, inspired by the watches worn by Abdul-Mateen II and Park in the film.[76]
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom premiered on December 19, 2023, at a fan event screening atthe Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles.[132][133][134] This was noted by Borys Kit ofThe Hollywood Reporter for not having ared carpet event and after party, with Wan and Momoa attending after a series ofblue carpet photo calls and small-scale fan events in London, Beijing, and Los Angeles.[132] The film was released in China on December 20,[131] and in the United States on December 22,[119] inIMAX,3D,4DX, andScreenX, among otherpremium large formats (PLFs).[134][135] It was originally set for release on December 16, 2022,[54] but was moved to March 17, 2023, when Warner Bros. adjusted its release schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the workload of visual effects vendors.[99] It was then moved to December 25, 2023, when Warner Bros. Discovery was trying to spread out marketing and distribution costs,[107] before moving forward to December 20,[117] and ultimately being pushed back by two days to December 22.[119]
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was released byWarner Bros. Home Entertainment ondigital download on January 23, 2024,[40] on the Warner Bros. streaming serviceMax on February 27,[136] and onUltra HD Blu-ray,Blu-ray, andDVD on March 12. It includes behind-the-scenes featurettes, as well as the special feature "Atlantean Blood is Thicker Than Water", which explores Aquaman and Orm's dynamic on both Blu-ray versions and the originalmotion comicAquaman: Through Fire and Water on premium digital versions.[40] According toNielsen Media Research, which measures the viewership of media on streaming services,The Lost Kingdom was the most-watched film on streaming upon its debut for the week of February 26 – March 3, 2024, with a total of 685 million minutes watched.[137]
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom grossed $124.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $314.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $439.4 million.[5] It became the highest-grossing DCEU film since the firstAquaman film, but it grossed less than half of that film's box office revenue.[138] Some commentators deemed that the film "floundered" at the box office,[139][136][137] with Aidan Kelly ofCollider estimating that it needed to earn $305–355 million worldwide to reach itsbreak-even point,[139] while/Film's Hannah Shaw-Williams thought it was unlikely that the film would break even during its theatrical run, even after surpassing a worldwide gross of $400 million.[140] Jill Goldsmith atDeadline Hollywood noted that the revenue of Warner Bros.' theatrical films released in the fourth quarter were higher on most releases, includingThe Lost Kingdom, although this was lower than box office analysts had predicted despite lowered projections.[141]
In the United States and Canada,Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was released alongsideMigration,Anyone but You, andThe Iron Claw, and was projected to gross around $40 million in its four-day opening weekend.[134] The film earned $13.7 million on its first day, including $4.5 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to have a traditional opening weekend of $27.7 million, the fourth-lowest of the DCEU, and the second-lowest among those films unaffected by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[142][3] It then made $10.6 million on Christmas Day, for a four-day total of $38.3 million.[142] In its second weekend, the film made $19.5 million, a drop of 30%, finishing in third behindWonka andMigration.[143] In its third weekend, the film made $10.6 million, a drop of 42%, remaining in third.[144] In its fourth weekend, the film made $5.3 million, a drop of 50%, finishing in sixth.[145]
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The film received negative reviews from critics.[146][147] Thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes calculated that 33% of 212 critic reviews were positive and the average rating was 4.9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Jason Momoa remains a capable and committed leading man, but even DC diehards may feel thatAquaman and the Lost Kingdom sticks to familiar waters."[148]Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 based on 43 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[149] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, tied withBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice andThe Flash for the lowest of the DCEU, whilePostTrak reported 69% of filmgoers gave it a positive score, with 50% saying they would definitely recommend the film.[142]
The chemistry between Momoa and Wilson was noted by critics as one of the film's high marks.[150][151]Matt Zoller Seitz ofRogerEbert.com noted Jason Momoa as the high mark of the film: "Momoa is the best reason to see the movie. He's as alpha-cool, even jerk-ish, as a "maverick" action star can be while also making you believe his character is fundamentally decent and knows when he's gone too far and sincerely feels bad about it. And he's got range". Seitz gave the movie three out of four stars.[152] BothPeter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian andThe Independent's Clarisse Loughrey provided a one-star rating for the film. Bradshaw compared the humor toTaika Waititi's Marvel filmsThor: Ragnarok (2017) andThor: Love and Thunder (2022) and felt Aquaman's role as a father was a derivative trope "used as a tired relatability short-cut by Hollywood". He also lamented Randall Park's role in the film, feeling it was "entirely wasted", and expressed ambivalent feelings about the cast performances. Meanwhile, Loughrey labeled the film as an "entry in the rogues' gallery of brainless franchise films", opining that Wan might have incorporated elements from his planned projectThe Trench into the project. She was surprised the film's theme was about climate change and thought Mera's role was "faux-feminist" and narratively contrived, noting Amber Heard's legal controversies. Furthermore, she also called the set pieces "derivative" and thought the humor negatively impacted the film's emotional moments.[153][154] Giving a two-star review, writer Nicholas Barber of theBBC began by expressing his view thatAquaman's box office revenue was the primary reason for this film's existence. However, he praised the performances of Wilson and Abdul-Mateen II while noting that Momoa seems to have been miscast as "[h]e's too earthy to be the king of the sea." Barber also called the relationship between Arthur and Orm "clichéd," lamented at the complete waste of Kidman's talent, and opined that while most of Heard's scenes had been edited out, the film's "unrelated plot" was such that her absence did not matter much. Ultimately, he concluded that the film never "attempts anything original or honest" and criticized its "brutal" editing for "rush[ing] through every potentially major event in a blur of montages and voiceovers".[155] David Fear ofRolling Stone felt it functioned as a standalone film and was separate from the DCEU, but disliked the tone and visual effects. Fear also called the storytelling "curiously thin" and was mixed on its commentary regarding climate change, but appreciated Momoa's performance and thought the film adequately concluded the DCEU.[156]CNN's Brian Lowry negatively compared it toWonder Woman 1984 (2020) and felt the lack of a new antagonist was to its detriment, calling David Kane a "one-note villain". He enjoyed Momoa's performance and thought it contributed to the film's "fun", but also was not interested in Arthur and Orm's relationship as it "wades through too many clunky moments to reach the few good ones".[157] Writing for theAssociated Press, Mark Kennedy thought the film's plot to be derivative from other films — such asThe Matrix (1999),Pirates of the Caribbean, andStar Wars — and disliked references to other films. Nevertheless, Kennedy considered Momoa's performance to be "holding it all together," and summed up the film as attempting to raise the stakes by having a higher production budget.[158]
Wan's direction was commended by Alissa Wilkinson atThe New York Times and Phil Owen ofGameSpot, with Wilkinson crediting him with creating a film "beyond the paint-by-numbers superhero movies we've been watching for decades now". Wilkinson also enjoyed the political commentary, as she felt certain elements were metaphors for authoritarianism and fascism. She primarily enjoyed Wilson's performance and Orm's character development compared toAquaman, but felt certain plot elements and the humor became repetitive and boring. Owen commended the production values but felt it lacked "substance" and was "empty-headed", going on to give the film an 8 out of 10.[159][160]The A.V. Club's Matthew Jackson gave it a B grade, enthusiastically enjoying the film's depiction of Orm and Arthur's relationship, calling that "formula ... absolute gold, both on a set piece and a character level". Jackson opined that the narrative contained too much and disliked the plotting, but he still felt it could effectively tell a cohesive narrative and enjoyed his overall viewing experience. Jackson concluded: "And above all else,Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom is fun. It does not dwell on its status as a finale for a certain comic book movie era, nor does it worry over the possibility that we'll never see Momoa's Arthur Curry again. Instead, this is a film that takes big swing after big swing, and leaves us filled up with spectacle, warmth, and a sense that the wait was probably worth it."[161] Michael Ordoña of theLos Angeles Times felt it highlighted climate change in an "earnest if clumsy fashion" and expressed minor complaints with the absence of physics during CGI-based action sequences underwater. Ordoña enjoyed the film's "buddy cop movie" tone and noted how it focused on portraying Arthur interacting with his family rather than Mera. He commended the characterization of Arthur and Orm, complimenting the former as the "most alive character in the DCEU", and enjoyed the short runtime.[162] Meanwhile, Bob Strauss from theSan Francisco Chronicle considered it to be a decent conclusion for the DCEU, and added that the story and runtime had been concise and efficient, agreeing with Ordoña's sentiments. He mostly enjoyed the film's design and visual effects, but felt it was similar toZack Snyder's then-released filmRebel Moon (2023). He considered the acting effective in conveying the sensation of being underwater, highlighting Arthur and Orm's relationship, but disliked the exposition delivery.[163]
At the49th People's Choice Awards, Momoa was nominated for the Action Movie Star of the Year.[164] The film was nominated forOutstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature at the22nd Visual Effects Society Awards for the character T.O.P.O. the Octopus.[165] At the2024 Kids' Choice Awards, the film was nominated forFavorite Movie and Momoa was nominated forFavorite Movie Actor.[166]
By December 2022, Warner Bros. was considering ending theAquaman film series and recasting Momoa as the characterLobo followingAquaman and the Lost Kingdom;[167] Momoa had long been a fan of Lobo.[168] In January 2023, Momoa said while he would "always be Aquaman", he felt he could also portray other characters.[169] Gunn and Safran said Momoa could play Aquaman in the DCU, but a decision on the role had not been made. Because no actor would play multiple characters, Momoa would not portray Aquaman in the DCU if he was instead cast as Lobo.[170] Safran wanted to continue working with Momoa as Aquaman or in another role, and explained that they set a high bar for casting, while feeling Momoa was perfect as Aquaman.[13] In September 2023, Wan saidThe Lost Kingdom set up a sequel, which he expressed interest in directing after a long break.[8] Gunn had saidThe Lost Kingdom andThe Flash would lead into the first DCU filmSuperman (2025),[170] but later clarified that no DC media released before the DCU began in 2024 would be canon to that franchise, leading some commentators to question the possibility of a potential continuation moving forward.[171][172]
By October 2023, no actors from directorZack Snyder's DCEU films were expected to reprise their roles in the DCU, including Momoa as Aquaman. However, Momoa had been in talks to portray Lobo in eitherSuperman or a standalone film for the character.[4] Ahead ofThe Lost Kingdom's release in December 2023, Momoa cast doubt on reprising his role as Aquaman because a sequel depended on the film's reception.[133] He had several ideas for continuing the role, such as having a younger character like Aquaman's sonArthur Jr. be featured in a sequel, but said that he would not be replaced with a different actor as Aquaman.[173] Safran said Momoa would "always have a home at DC" and they would figure out his continued involvement followingThe Lost Kingdom,[133] and a year later, Momoa was confirmed to be portraying Lobo in the DCU, starting with the filmSupergirl (2026).[168]
Along with negative reviews and mediocre audience scores, the big-budget sequel is struggling with its lame-duck status in the DC Extended Universe.
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