Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom picks up years after the first movie, with Arthur Curry having not only fully taken on the mantle of Aquaman and King of Atlantis but becoming a father as well. However, Atlantis is threatened when his old enemy, Black Manta, returns with vengeance and newfound power from the Black Trident. Desperate for help, Arthur turns to his brother Orm, whom he imprisoned in the last movie. They must work together to protect Arthur’s family and save Atlantis from this devastating threat.
James Wan returns to helm Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as director, with David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick returning as well to pen the screenplay. The story is by Wan, Johnson-McGoldrick, star Jason Momoa, and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom stars Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Nicole Kidman.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Trailer Breakdown: 15 Story Reveals & Things You Missed
The first trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been released, with the footage revealing plenty of story tidbits for the DCEU sequel.
Screen Rant interviewed Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan. He discussed how the sequel explores Arthur’s responsibilities as the leader of a nation and a father. Wan also teased Black Manta’s single-minded need to destroy Arthur and shared his feelings about how Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom fit into James Gunn’s DC Universe.
James Wan Talks Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Screen Rant: I am so excited about Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom. One of the things that’s new in this is that Aquaman is a father. Why is it important to feature Aquaman as a father this time around?
James Wan: I like to say that Aquaman and Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom play like part 1 and part 2. That was how I approached it philosophically and emotionally. That meant that when we got to the end of the first movie, that’s only the first half of Arthur’s journey for me. I felt like there was still the second half of his journey.
In the first movie, he was kind of lost and looking for his place in the world. At the end of the first movie, he discovered who he is and finally has a vision and a goal of where he needs to be and what he wants to do. We get to see that now in the second one, and that basically means that he’s the King of Atlantis. He has duties by being the king of Atlantis; he has the stress of running a whole nation.
And then at the same time, he has fatherly duties as well. We intercut with him changing diapers; dealing with coming home late at night and waking up the baby. That contrast was what Jason initially pitched to us, and I really love that because he really cares about where his character goes in the second film. I really respect it, and I really love that idea, so that’s the direction that we’re going into.
And again, that’s how the comic book was. In the comic book, he and Mera are the King and Queen of Atlantis, and they have a baby together. And then somehow, Black Manta gets into all of that.
Speaking of Black Manta, he’s one of my favorite DC villains. Yahya Abdul-Mateen returns as Black Manta and is a focal point in the second film. Can you talk to me about his motivations in The Lost Kingdom?
James Wan: Here’s the really cool thing. What I love about Black Manta is just how single-minded he is. He’s like a shark, right? All he cares about is killing Arthur, destroying Arthur, and destroying everything that Arthur cares about because he holds Aquaman responsible for the death of his father. That’s from the comic book that we love.
And the other thing I love about his character is that he’s not a superhero. He’s a normal, everyday human, but his will is so strong. He’s a very smart character, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goal. And as we see in the trailer, he’s willing to make a deal with the devil to achieve his goal. The great thing is we’ve established his character’s motivation in the first movie. In this one, we can really just jump straight into it and see what it is that he’s trying to do.
I can’t wait. Have you spoken to James Gunn about the DCU at all?
James Wan: No, not really. I mean, not really in a deeper sense. I know they’re in the middle of all that, so I’m sure it’s not something that you just whip up in one or two afternoons. I’m sure it’s a growing process and it depends on the different characters. I imagine that’s a pretty heavy task that they’re dealing with right now. I am just happy and feel like I was able to make my movie, work on my film that takes place within its own world, and not be affected by whatever other people are doing.
About Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
- Release Date:
- 2023-12-22
- Director:
- Array
- Cast:
- Array
- Rating:
- PG-13
- Genres:
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- Writers:
- Array
- Budget:
- $205 Million
- Studio(s):
- Array
- Distributor(s):
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- prequel(s):
- Array
- Franchise(s):
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