Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a 2023 American superhero film based on DC Comics featuring the character Aquaman. Produced by DC Studios, Atomic Monster, the Safran Company, and Domain Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the sequel to Aquaman (2018), and the 15th and final film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by James Wan from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, the film stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman, who must work with his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to prevent Black 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, and Nicole Kidman also star in supporting roles.
"Aquaman 2" redirects here. For the second iteration of Aquaman in the comics, see Aquaman II.Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
- James Wan
- David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
- Jason Momoa
- Thomas Pa'a Sibbett
Characters
from DC
- Peter Safran
- James Wan
- Rob Cowan
Kirk Morri
- DC Studios[1]
- Atomic Monster[2]
- The Safran Company[2]
- Domain Entertainment[3][4]
- December 19, 2023 (The Grove)
- December 22, 2023 (United States)
124 minutes[5]
United States
English
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, have a more serious tone, and feature themes such as climate change. It is a buddy comedy between Aquaman and Orm, and was inspired by the Silver Age of Comic Books with a retro science fiction vibe similar to the works of animator Ray Harryhausen and the horror films of the 1960s, specifically Planet of the Vampires (1965). Wan announced the sequel's title in June 2021, ahead of the start of filming at the end of the month. Filming 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 premiered at a fan event at the 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 $434 million worldwide against a production budget of $205–215 million.
Plot
Four years after becoming king of Atlantis,[a] Arthur Curry has married Mera and had 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 biologist Stephen Shin to find Atlantean artifacts. When Shin accidentally discovers a cavern in Antarctica, 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 an Orichalcum reserve on Atlantis to steal them to power his Atlantean machines that are of ancient origin, but are of unknown design to modern Atlanteans. They are caught midway and chased by Atlantean forces, with Mera injured in the ensuing battle. Arthur learns that this usage of Orichalcum, which emits high quantities of greenhouse gases, has not only raised planetary temperatures and caused extreme weather and ocean acidification, but 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-brother, Orm, out of prison, and they visit a pirate haven called the Sunken Citadel, meeting Kingfish to learn of Manta's whereabouts.
The information they obtain leads them to a volcanic island in the South Pacific, where they battle Manta's forces after getting themselves through flora and fauna mutated by the Orichalcum. There, Orm comes into contact with the Black Trident, which shows him visions of its provenance. Orm learns the trident was created by Kordax, the brother of King Atlan and ruler of the lost kingdom of Necrus. Kordax was imprisoned with blood 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. The Atlanteans, with Shin's help, determine that Kordax' prison and the lost kingdom of Necrus is located in Antarctica.
In Necrus, Arthur fights Manta and is almost killed before Mera arrives and saves him. Manta throws the Black Trident at Mera, 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 and allows himself to fall into a fissure. The Atlanteans and Shin escape to safety and decide that Orm has redeemed himself. They plan to inform Atlantis that Orm 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 the United Nations and declares his intentions of making the kingdom a member state.
Also appearing are Vincent Regan as Atlan, the first king of Atlantis, replacing Graham McTavish from the first film;[27] Jani Zhao as Stingray, a loyal member of Black Manta's crew;[27][18] Indya Moore as Karshon,[27] an Atlantean and the leader of the High Council of the Seven Kingdoms who serves as a political barrier for Arthur by opposing his desire to reveal Atlantis to the human world. The character is not depicted as a shark-like character as she is in the comics;[18][15][35] and Pilou Asbæk as Kordax, Atlan's brother who was the creator of the cursed Black Trident and the undead king of the lost kingdom of Necrus, also called the Black City, whose evil spirit possesses Black Manta. This version of Kordax is a composite character of the comics' version and Orin, which was the name of Atlan's brother and Aquaman in some iterations of the comics.[36][37][15] Arthur and Mera's son Arthur Jr., who has similar water-based abilities as his parents,[25] is portrayed by various babies including Tyler Burger, Maddox Cruz-Porter, River Ao Moemoea Green, Nikau Keats Green, Bodhi McCabe, Elliot Oben-Pepra, Lucian Oben-Pepra, Arthur Rowe-Mayer, and Noah Rowe-Mayer.[38] Natalia Safran, wife of producer Peter Safran, makes a cameo appearance as a member of the High Council,[39] while Michael Beach appears uncredited as Black Manta's father Jesse Kane through archive footage from the first film.[39][40] Beach was approached to film some flashback scenes but was unavailable due to scheduling issues.[40]
Also returning from the first film are John Rhys-Davies as the voice of the Brine King;[41] as well as the giant seahorse Storm, Arthur's steed;[42][43] and the octopus T.O.P.O., which stands for "Tactical Observation and Pursuit Operative",[44] who is a tactical covert operative for Atlantis that aids Arthur in freeing Orm and on their quest, in addition to playing several instruments, such as the drums.[17][45][46][15] 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 actor occasionally standing in for T.O.P.O. with a stick puppet for Momoa to act against.[45] 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".[46]
Production
Development
During the production of Aquaman (2018), star Jason Momoa developed a story pitch for a sequel that he gave to Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich and producer Peter 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. Director James Wan said there were several storylines that could spin out from Aquaman, with that film introducing seven underwater kingdoms that had yet to be fully explored.[10][47] Momoa and his producing partner Brian Mendoza wrote a 50-page treatment for the sequel, which Warner Bros. bought but did not entirely follow,[12] and the actor was paid $15 million for his involvement.[48] Emmerich had enough confidence in box office projections for the film by early December to begin discussing a sequel.[49] By the end of January 2019, when Aquaman was set to become the highest-grossing film based on a single DC 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 of Deadline Hollywood noted that Wan had been very protective of sequels to his previous films Insidious (2010) and The Conjuring (2013), and was "deeply invested" in the worldbuilding of Aquaman. Wan had previously compared the world of Aquaman to other fictional worlds such as Middle-earth, the Star Wars galaxy, and the Wizarding World.[50]
In early February 2019, Warner Bros. hired Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald to write the script for a "horror-tinged" Aquaman spin-off film titled The 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 of Aquaman, with Wan and Safran producing. Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter reported then that there had not yet been serious discussions about a direct sequel to Aquaman between the studio, Wan, and Momoa, due to them wanting to have a "breather" first,[51] 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, though it was still unclear if Wan would direct it.[52] At the end of February, Warner Bros. scheduled Aquaman 2 for release on December 16, 2022.[53] 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 the Aquaman franchise in a similar way to The Conjuring Universe, with spin-offs like The Trench exploring stories about the underwater kingdoms alongside the "mothership" films starring Aquaman. Safran said Wan knew "the architecture, the armory, the military, the look, the feel, the general vibe" of each of the seven kingdoms and wanted to explore them all in future projects.[54]
Marketing
Wan and Wilson teased plans for the film in a panel at the virtual DC FanDome event in August 2020.[55] A year later, at DC FanDome 2021, concept art and behind-the-scenes footage from filming were revealed.[21] 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 included The Batman, Black Adam, and The Flash (before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Flash were delayed to 2023 the following month).[122][100] 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.[123] He then revealed more concept art for the film when its release date was delayed in August.[107] The first trailer was showcased during Warner Bros.' CinemaCon panel in April 2023, showing the "bromance" between Arthur and Orm among other footage.[124] Steve Weintraub at Collider said the footage looked "absolutely massive in scale" and featured several action sequences.[22] The first theatrical trailer was released on September 14, 2023.[125] The cast were not able to participate in marketing during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike,[7] until the strike's conclusion in November.[1] IWC Schaffhausen, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures, released an Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month diving watch, inspired by the watches worn by Abdul-Mateen II and Park in the film.[77]
Release
Theatrical
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom premiered on December 19, 2023, at a fan event screening at the Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles.[126][127][128] This was noted by Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter for not having a red carpet event and after party, with Wan and Momoa attending after a series of blue carpet photo calls and small-scale fan events in London, Beijing, and Los Angeles.[126] The film was released in China on December 20,[1] and in the United States on December 22,[116] in IMAX, 3D, 4DX, and ScreenX, among other premium large formats (PLFs).[128][129] It was originally set for release on December 16, 2022,[53] 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.[100] It was then moved to December 25, 2023, when Warner Bros. Discovery was trying to spread out marketing and distribution costs,[106] before moving forward to December 20,[113] and then pushed back by two days to December 22.[116]
Home media
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on digital download on January 23, 2024,[44] on Warner Bros.' streaming service Max on February 27,[130] and on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD 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 original motion comic Aquaman: Through Fire and Water on premium digital versions.[44] According to Nielsen 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.[131]
Reception
Box office
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom grossed $124.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $309.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $434.4 million.[8][9] It is the highest-grossing DCEU film since the first Aquaman film, but grossed less than half of that film's box office revenue.[132] Aidan Kelly of Collider estimated that the film needed to earn $305–355 million worldwide to break even,[133] 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.[134] Jill Goldsmith at Deadline Hollywood noted that the revenue of Warner Bros.' theatrical films released in the fourth quarter were higher on most releases, including The Lost Kingdom, although this was lower than box office analysts had predicted despite lowered projections.[135]
In the United States and Canada, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was released alongside Migration, Anyone but You, and The Iron Claw, and was projected to gross around $40 million in its four-day opening weekend.[128] 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 the COVID-19 pandemic. It then made $10.6 million on Christmas Day, for a four-day total of $38.3 million.[136][6] In its second weekend, the film made $19.5 million, a drop of 30%, finishing in third behind Wonka and Migration.[137] In its third weekend, the film made $10.6 million, remaining in third.[138] In its fourth weekend, the film made $5.3 million, finishing in sixth.[139]
Future
In December 2022, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Warner Bros. was considering ending the Aquaman film series and recasting Momoa as the character Lobo following Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.[159] In January 2023, Momoa stated that he would "always be Aquaman", but felt that he could also portray other characters.[160] Later that month, DC Studios co-CEOs Gunn and Safran said there was potential for Momoa to reprise his role in the DCU, but a decision on Aquaman had not been made. No actor would be playing multiple characters, so if they did cast Momoa as Lobo he would not portray Aquaman in the DCU. Gunn confirmed that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, alongside The Flash, would lead into the DCU's first film Superman (2025).[161] Safran expressed interest in continuing to work with Momoa, either within the world of Aquaman or finding another character. He explained that they set a high bar for casting, and felt that Momoa's Aquaman was a perfect casting.[12]
In September 2023, Gunn clarified that any DC media released before the first projects for the DCU in 2024 would not be canon to that franchise, leading commentators to question the possibility of a potential continuation moving forward.[162][163] Wan said The Lost Kingdom would help set up a sequel and expressed interest in directing it after a long break.[43] The following month, Variety reported that none of the main cast members from Zack Snyder's DCEU films would reprise their roles in the DCU, including Momoa as Aquaman. However, Momoa had reportedly been in talks to portray Lobo in either Superman or a solo film for the character.[7] Ahead of The Lost Kingdom's release in December 2023, Momoa said it could be his final performance as Aquaman, explaining that if the film was received well by audiences that a sequel could be possible, but he felt it was "not looking too good" for him reprising the role.[127] The actor said he had a lot of ideas for the character, and indicated that a younger character, such as Aquaman's son Arthur Jr., could be featured in a potential third Aquaman film. He also said that he would not be replaced with a different actor as Aquaman.[164] Safran said at that time that Momoa would "always have a home at DC" and that "we'll see what happens with him beyond" this film.[127]
