According to reports, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is sailing through rough seas on its way to cinemas. A new article from The Hollywood Reporter says the sequel to 2018’s Aquaman is doggy paddling to shore after a stint of reshoots in New Zealand in mid-June, with stars Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson attending. Multiple sources say this is the film’s third round of reshoots, a number unheard of in most Hollywood circles.
Warner Bros greenlighted Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom under the leadership of former film boss Toby Emmerich and DC Films head Walter Hamada. 2018’s Aquaman earned $1.148B worldwide, becoming DC’s most successful superhero film. Even with the sequel suffering several setbacks, it’s easy to see why WB doesn’t want to let Aquaman and the Lost City drown.
After wrapping principal photography in January 2022, management ordered two reshoots. Unfortunately, test audiences were unimpressed with the results. While the film’s evolution timeline could be clearer, Warners film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy eventually approached the film. Abdy went hard on making edits to the film. Sadly, the new version of the film tested lower than the previous version. While problems with the edit remain a mystery, sources say early cuts of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom lacked story clarity.
In addition to chaos in the editing bay, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom developed a “Batman problem.” The cancelation of Batgirl and the shifting release schedule for DC’s superhero slate made Keaton’s involvement with Aquaman 2 difficult. Keaton’s Bruce Wayne was supposed to act as a Nick Fury-like character in the DCEU, popping in and out of tentpole features to oversee events. However, Keaton’s role in Wan’s Aquaman sequel hit rough tides. Under the brief leadership of Abdy and DeLuca, Ben Affleck participated in a round of reshoots as Bruce Wayne, replacing Keaton—this complicated Affleck’s involvement when Aquaman 2 moved to a spot after The Flash. Unfortunately, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom no longer includes a Batman.
With Gunn and Safran now at the helm, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is reportedly on better terms. The duo approved a five-day reshoot to wrap the project finally. THR says Wan got what he needed in four days and is pleased with the result. Many suspect WB thinks highly of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be pumping this much money into completing the film.
In addition to Jason Momoa as Aquaman, the upcoming Aquaman sequel also stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, and Amber Heard as Mera. The sequel will find Aquaman forging an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to save Atlantis and the rest of the planet. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will now hit theaters on December 20th.
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