Director James Wan has revealed that his sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, is more mature than the original but still retains the franchise’s established sense of fun. Following Warner Bros/DC Films’ abandonment of the Snyder-Verse, 2018’s Aquaman solidified the DCEU’s newfound focus on solo outings. The lighthearted, CGI extravaganza followed Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) and his Atlantean lineage, ultimately becoming ascending to the throne. Its follow-up is set to further explore Atlantis and new locations with Momoa returning to the titular role, and Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Temuera Morrison, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Willem Dafoe, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also reprising their roles. Joining the cast is Randall Park and Game of Thrones alum, Pilou Asbæk, who is rumored to be playing the film’s main antagonist.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is slated to release in theaters on December 16, 2022. Although filming on the sequel has wrapped, little is known about the plot. During DC FanDome in October, Wan described the film as a “globe-trotting story” akin to the stakes of Justice League. In the same behind-the-scenes video, Momoa said it was “gonna be a fun adventure like it was the first time — just better." On top of that, Abdul-Mateen II has shared his belief that the script for the sequel is better than the first, with a lot of "good storytelling moments." Expectations are high, and Wan looks to take Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in a different direction while doubling down on what worked in the first film.
In a recent interview with Total Film (via ComicBook.com), Wan teased that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom would incorporate a different tone. The director called it “a movie that’s more mature [than Aquaman] but yet still retains its fun.” In the same conversation, Producer Peter Safran said, "[they’ve] have turned the dials up to 11."
It would seem that Wan, who’s also helmed films such as The Conjuring and this year’s Malignant, will be vaguely returning to his horror roots with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Back in August, he said that the film is heavily inspired by the 1965 Italian horror film, Planet of the Vampires (1965). He went on to explain how he held back some of his darker instincts when crafting the first film, and he’s ready to delve deep in darker waters now that a lighter foundation has been laid. For the uninitiated, Mario Baba’s Planet of the Vampires, which is often cited as an influence for Ridley Scott’s Alien, follows two spaceships whose crews find themselves possessed by vampire-like entities and begin killing each other. What that one-sentence synopsis means for Aquaman and the Last Kingdom is anyone’s guess.
Re-animated corpses aside, Aquaman and the Last Kingdom’s mature tone should suit both Wan and his star, Momoa—as seen in his work as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, Baba Voss in See and, more recently, Duncan Idaho in Dune. There are even those who think Momoa turned out his best performance as Arthur Curry in Zack Snyder’s R-rated Justice League—fans like their DC dark. That being said, it remains to be seen if the success of that film has any influence on the direction of the DCEU. Regardless, the studio has a lot of trust in Wan’s vision after the original film’s $1.1 billion box office haul.
Source: Total Film (via ComicBook.com)
