Aquaman 2 now has a title: it’s called Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The Lost Kingdom naturally refers to the kingdom of Atlantis, the underwater home of Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. The Aquaman sequel title was announced Thursday by director James Wan on Instagram, who put up two photos — one of his laptop at an Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom production meeting, and another of himself with the laptop screen mirrored onto a TV in the background. In both photos, the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom title is visible in the movie’s official logo font.
Wan at a production meeting for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom lends credence to reports that the Aquaman sequel will begin filming in June in the UK. In addition to Momoa as Arthur Curry/ Aquaman, returning Aquaman stars on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom include Amber Heard as Aquaman’s love interest Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the villain David Kane/ Black Manta, Patrick Wilson as Aquaman’s half-brother Orm Marius/ Ocean Master, and Temuera Morrison as Aquaman’s father Thomas Curry. Pilou Asbæk (Game of Thrones) is the only new addition yet.
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Behind the scenes, Wan is directing off a script by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. Wan will also produce Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom alongside returning producer Peter Safran. The original Aquaman movie was a huge commercial success, becoming the biggest movie ever based on a DC Comics character with a worldwide gross of $1.148 billion (about Rs. 8,378 crores). It didn’t fare as well critically, though, but a sequel was inevitable given the box office returns. Not much else is known about Aquaman 2, though we might learn more at this year’s DC FanDome that is set for October 16.
Before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the DC film universe will treat us to James Gunn’s soft reboot The Suicide Squad on August 6 (premiering in cinemas and on HBO Max), the Robert Pattinson-led Dark Knight reboot The Batman in March 2022, Dwayne Johnson’s anti-hero Black Adam in July 2022, and the standalone The Flash with Ezra Miller, Ben Affleck, and Michael Keaton in November 2022. Beyond that, there’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods in June 2023.
Additionally, movies around DC characters such as Batgirl (from Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah), Blue Beetle (with director Angel Manuel Soto), Green Lantern, Hourman (from writers Gavin James and Neil Widener), Plastic Woman (from writer Cat Vasko), Static Shock (from writer Randy McKinnon), Superman (from writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and producer J.J. Abrams), and Zatanna (from writer Emerald Fennell) are said to be in various stages of development. Lastly, Wonder Woman 3 with Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins is also in the works.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is slated to open December 16, 2022 in cinemas worldwide.
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