In projects as big as AQUAMAN, it's not out of the ordinary for the involvement of certain actors to fly under the radar, and with less than a month to go before the release of the Warner Bros. movie, Entertainment Weekly recently learned that Mary Poppins herself will have a secret role in the film.
EW reported that Julie Andrews has lent her voice to a pivotal role in AQUAMAN, that of the mythic Karathen, an undersea creature who holds the key to Arthur Curry's (Jason Momoa) quest to unite the Atlantean and surface worlds. AQUAMAN producer Peter Safran told EW that they "wanted the Karathen to have the voice of a classic British actress, albeit somewhat digitally altered. And when we found out Julie was interested and available and excited to do it, casting her was a no-brainer." Interestingly, Julie Andrews' role in AQUAMAN places her in direct opposition with her iconic role of Mary Poppins, as MARY POPPINS RETURNS will be released mere days before AQUAMAN. In addition to MARY POPPINS RETURNS, AQUAMAN will also be facing off against BUMBLEBEE, HOLMES AND WATSON, WELCOME TO MARWEN, VICE, ON THE BASIS OF SEX, and DESTROYER. While speaking with EW, director James Wan commented on the box-office competition which his film will be facing.
For sure, I think I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. But generally around the holidays, there’s a lot to go around — which was pointed out to us when Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle opened on top of each other. You see how well Jumanji played. I don’t mind being the underdog. Aquaman has always been the underdog and I’m happy to continue that narrative.
While I doubt that AQUAMAN will be the underdog in that group, Wan is certainly right in saying that there's a lot to go around next month. As for how AQUAMAN will be received by audiences, the first official reactions for the film were quite positive, with many saying that it was a hugely entertaining adventure with spectacular visuals and great action which embraced its comic-book roots. We won't have to wait much longer until we can decide for ourselves, but I'm pumped!
The official synopsis for AQUAMAN:
From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, “Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.
AQUAMAN hits theaters on December 21, 2018.