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Tag: Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

  • When Will 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' Be Available to Stream on Max?

    When Will 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' Be Available to Stream on Max?

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    Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom arrived in theaters right before the holidays. Viewers who have waited five years for the Aquaman sequel will likely be anxious for its streaming arrival.

    The sequel sees Aquaman (Jason Momoa) balancing family life with his duties as the King of Atlantis. However, the life and kingdom he has built are soon threatened by the return of his archenemy, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Black Manta is even more powerful than before, with an even greater thirst for revenge. As a result, Aquaman is forced to form a shaky alliance with his half-brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), to save his kingdom.

    Despite the first Aquaman being the DCU’s biggest commercial success, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been struggling at the box office. Additionally, its critical reviews haven’t been very favorable. While most critics agree it’s fun and entertaining, it fails to eclipse the original or add anything meaningful to the series. The film’s controversial decision to sideline Queen Mera (Amber Heard) has also added to the film’s poor critical reception and led to some Heard supporters boycotting the movie. Whether it’s because of busy holiday schedules, poor reviews, or support of Heard, there are quite a few reasons why viewers may opt to wait for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to arrive on streaming.

    Does Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have a Max release date?

    Jason Momoa as Aquaman in the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom teaser
    (Warner Bros.)

    Unfortunately, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom does not yet have a streaming release date. However, since it is a Warner Bros. film, we know for certain that it will be arriving on Max, formerly HBO Max, when it does begin streaming. Meanwhile, if the film follows the pattern of the other recent Warner Bros. DCU releases, we can make an educated guess about when it might arrive.

    All of Warner Bros.’ other 2023 DCU films—Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Blue Beetle—arrived on streaming between 67 and 90 days after premiering in theaters. The Shazam! sequel and The Flash arrived within 67 and 70 days, respectively, while Blue Beetle waited 90 days before its Max debut. All three films struggled at the box office, though Blue Beetle faired slightly better due to having a lower budget and more positive reviews from critics. Blue Beetle also premiered during the writers’ and actors’ strikes, which may have factored into its longer exclusive theatrical run since studios depended on word of mouth to advertise the film.

    Since the performance and conditions of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom seem most similar to The Flash and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the film could arrive on Max as early as February 27, 2024. If it follows the longer theatrical run of Blue Beetle, it may arrive closer to April 2024.

    (featured image: Warner Bros.)

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    Rachel Ulatowski

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  • Box Office: ‘Wonka’ Leads New Year’s Waltz as ‘Aquaman 2’ Continues to Sink

    Box Office: ‘Wonka’ Leads New Year’s Waltz as ‘Aquaman 2’ Continues to Sink

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    Wonka is winning the long New Year’s weekend box office race as a tumultuous 2023 comes to a close.

    The Warner Bros. origin pic — starring Timothée Chalamet as young candymaker Willy Wonka — is on course to gross $31.8 million for the four-day holiday weekend, putting its domestic tally at a sweet $142.5 million through Monday. And it wasn’t the only musical from Warners to hit the right note. The Color Purple, produced by Oprah and Steven Spielberg, has been doing better-than-expected business since opening on Dec. 25, and placed No. 4 on the New Year’s weekend chart with an estimated $17.7 million for the four days. The film’s estimated domestic tally through Monday is an impressive $50 million.

    Two weeks ago, box office pundits weren’t sure whether domestic revenue could clear $9 billion after a brutal fall season. But thanks in particular to mid-range and smaller films that overperformed over Christmas, revenue was able to eke past $9 billion in a post-pandemic era first. That marks a 20 percent gain over 2022. The bummer: Revenue is still down 20 percent to 21 percent from 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 crisis.

    Wonka, which launched in mid-December, emerged as this year’s Christmas box office winner when Warners’ very own Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom sunk in its box office debut over the Dec. 22-25 weekend and failed to recover in a meaningful way even though it stayed high up on the chart. The DC superhero sequel is looking at a No. 2 finish over New Year’s weekend with an estimated Friday-Monday gross of $26.3 million.

    That would put Aquaman 2‘s domestic tally through Monday at a lackluster $84.7 million — compared to $215.4 million earned by the first Aquaman through New Year’s Day over the year-end holidays in 2018. Both films were directed by James Wan and star Jason Momoa in the titular role.

    After a sluggish start over Christmas weekend, Illumination and Universal’s Migration held in steadily for an estimated domestic total of $59.4 million through New Year’s Day after placing No. 3 for the long weekend with a four-day gross of $22.3 million. Its domestic total is ahead of the $55 million earned over the 2022 year-end holidays by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which topped out with a strong $186.1 million domestically. Globally, Migration has earned $100 million (it’s been soft overseas).

    The Color Purple, from Warners and Amblin, got off to a dazzling start Christmas Day with $18 million, the second-best opening ever for a film launching Dec. 25 and the best since 2009, not adjusted for inflation.

    Wonka and The Color Purple appear to reverse the musical curse of recent times, and their success is good news for Paramount’s upcoming Mean Girls and Universal’s 2024 Christmas event pic Wicked.

    The troubled rom-com genre also got a boost with Sony’s edgy holiday entry Anyone but You, which rounded out the top five with an estimated $11.5 million for the four days to push its domestic tally to $27.6 million.

    MGM and Amazon’s George Clooney-directed The Boys in the Boat followed at No. 6 on the four-day holiday chart with $11 million for an estimated domestic total of $24.6 million through Monday.

    A24’s wrestling drama The Iron Claw placed No. 7 with an estimated $6.9 million for the four days. The Zac Efron-led pic’s cume through Monday is a pleasing $18.2 million.

    Neon’s Ferrari placed No. 8 over New Year’s weekend with an estimated $5.2 million for the four days for an early domestic tally of $12.1 million. Like The Color Purple and Boys in the Boat, Ferrari opened Christmas Day.

    More to come.

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    Pamela McClintock

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  • Box Office: ‘The Color Purple’ Trounces ‘Aquaman 2’ With Near-Record $18M Christmas Day Opening

    Box Office: ‘The Color Purple’ Trounces ‘Aquaman 2’ With Near-Record $18M Christmas Day Opening

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    The Color Purple has brought some much-needed cheer to the year-end holiday box office.

    The musical — whose producers include Oprah and Steven Spielberg — opened to $18.1 million from 3,142 theaters on Monday, the second best showing ever for a movie opening on Christmas Day and the best since 2009. Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks and Colman Domingo star in Blitz Bazawule’s retelling of the beloved Alice Walker novel, adapted from the Tony-winning Broadway show.

    The record-holder for biggest Christmas Day opening belongs to 2009’s Sherlock Holmes ($24.6 million), not adjusted for inflation.

    The George Clooney-directed The Boys in the Boat, another film opening on Christmas Day, also did notably better than expected with $5.7 million from 2,557 locations. The MGM and Amazon adult drama, starring Joel Edgerton and Callum Turner, joined The Color Purple in earning an A CinemaScore. Michael Mann’s Ferrari, also opening on Dec. 25, earned $2.9 million from 2,330 sites after receiving B CinemaScore.

    While The Color Purple easily trounced James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s Monday gross of $10.6 million, Aquaman 2 is the overall winner of the long Christmas weekend with a four-day opening of $38.3 million from 3,706 theaters domestically. But the superhero sequel — which was also slapped with a meh B CinemaScore — doesn’t have much to crow about after posting one of the lowest starts in the history of the DC Cinematic Universe. The Jason Momoa-led superhero sequel fared better overseas with $80.1 million from 72 markets, with the largest chunk, or $30.4 million, coming from China.

    In 2018, the first Aquaman was the king of the year-end holiday when swimming to a three-day opening of $67.9 million over the Dec. 21-23 weekend. Through Christmas Day, which fell on a Tuesday that year, its domestic tally was a rousing $105.4 million (it earned $22 million on Dec. 25). The movie went on to earn $335.1 million domestically and $1.15 billion globally, the best showing ever for a DCEU title, not adjusted for inflation.

    Wan’s movie lends further credence to the superhero fatigue theory. Aquaman 2‘s opening trails the recent $46.1 million start of box office debacle The Marvels from rival Marvel Studios.

    This year’s Christmas box office feast was a mixed blessing. Revenue for the four-day weekend was up 11 percent over the same stretch in 2022, but down 46 percent from 2019, which is considered a key pre-pandemic benchmark. And revenue for the three-day weekend (Dec. 22-24) was up 1 percent over 2022, but down 62 percent behind 2022. Making year-over-year comparisons can be tricky when it comes to the year-end holiday, since Dec. 25 is a moving target.

    Warners definitely dominated this year’s holiday marquee, between Aquaman 2, Wonka (also a musical), and The Color Purple.

    Wonka, which opened the weekend before the holiday, placed No. 2 on the four-day holiday chart with a take of $28.4 million from 4,213 sites for a domestic cume of $85.9 million. The Timothée Chalamet-led movie is dazzling overseas, where it has earned $171.3 million to date, for a global tally of $257.2 million through Monday. Wonka and Color Purple are proving that musicals may not be an endangered species after all, and it’s no small feat that The Color Purple placed No. 3 on the holiday chart considering it played just one day.

    Coming in No. 4 on the four-day chart was Illumination and Universal’s animated family pic Migration. The tentpole is reporting a four-day opening of $17.5 million, the lowest start in Illumination’s history. The movie is doing muted business so far overseas, for a projected foreign tally of $22 million from 43 markets through Sunday.

    The final verdict on Migration won’t be rendered until New Year’s weekend, as there is no more lucrative stretch of the movie going year than the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Still, Disney was skewered when Wish posted a five-day start of $32.5 million over Thanksgiving last month.

    As with the superhero genre, there is concern across Hollywood about the animated theatrical marketplace.

    Columbia/Sony’s edgy romantic-comedy Anyone But You unwrapped a fifth-place finish with an estimated $8 million from 3,055 theaters for the four days. The new pic, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, earned a B+ CinemaScore. (No studio likes anything other than some variation of an A grade for most movies.)

    Females made up nearly 80 percent of all patrons buying tickets to see Anyone But You, while males made up at least 66 percent of A24’s Zac Efron-led wrestling drama The Iron Claw, which placed No. 6 with a better-than-expected $6.8 million from 2,774 cinemas.

    At the specialty box office, Searchlight Pictures opened Andrew Haigh’s acclaimed All of Us Strangers in four locations in New York and Los Angeles. The awards contender is looking at an estimated location average of $36,000 for four days, the highest of any film on the Christmas weekend chart.

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    Pamela McClintock

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  • Box Office Humbug: ‘Aquaman 2’ Opening to $38M-$40M in U.S. But Swims to $80M Overseas

    Box Office Humbug: ‘Aquaman 2’ Opening to $38M-$40M in U.S. But Swims to $80M Overseas

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    Christmas revenue at the domestic box office is running behind 2022, a sobering stat as Hollywood studios and theater owners prepare to ring out a topsy-turvy year.

    As it stands now, combined ticket sales in North America for the marquee holiday weekend (Dec. 22-Dec. 25) are down 7 percent from last year, although the gap could close somewhat if traffic picks up in earnest on Christmas afternoon once presents are unwrapped. (Studios never like it when Dec. 25 falls on a Monday, since many consumers use the weekend to finish final yuletide preparations.)

    Either way, James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is headed for one of the lowest starts in the history of the DC Cinematic Universe with a projected four-day domestic gross of $38 million to $40 million, including $27 million to $28 million for the three days (numbers will be updated Monday morning.) The good news: It can still claim a No. 1 finish. Overseas, it took in $80.1 million from 72 markets — including a promising $30.4 million in China, where it turned in the biggest start of the year for a Hollywood superhero pic.

    The big-budget tentpole, reteaming Wan and star Jason Momoa, has been largely rebuked by critics and only earned a B CinemaScore from audiences. The sequel, which faced a troubled road to the big screen, marks the end of an era as new DC chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran are set to reboot the DC Universe with 2025’s Superman: Legacy. (Momoa himself has all but said there won’t be an Aquaman threequel.)

    In 2018, the first Aquaman was the king of the year-end holiday when swimming to a three-day opening of $67.9 million over the Dec. 21-23 weekend. Through Christmas Day — a Tuesday that year — its domestic tally was a rousing $105.4 million (that included several million in special sneak peeks the previous weekend). The movie went on to earn $335.1 million domestically and $1.15 billion globally, the best showing ever for a DCEU title, not adjusted for inflation.

    Wan’s movie lends further credence to the superhero fatigue theory. Even the most ardent fanboys are weary. Aquaman 2 is also trailing the recent $46.1 million opening of box office debacle The Marvels from rival Marvel Studios.

    A slew of other films also opened Friday, and the Warners empire is feeling particularly giving. The studio has no fewer than three year-end holiday event movies: Aquaman 2; Wonka, which opened last weekend; and The Color Purple. It’s a daring feat, to say the least, as the latter two are musicals. (Like The Color People, several other holiday titles waited until Monday to unfurl, including The Boys in the Boat and Ferrari.)

    In yet another test of the appetite for theatrical animated fare, and especially original stories, Illumination and Universal are contributing Migration to the holiday mix for families.

    The animated tentpole, which earned an A CinemaScore, is expected to earn $12.5 million for the weekend proper from 3,761 theaters and $17.2 million for the four days, ahead of what some tracking services had predicted but still the lowest start in the history of Illumination, not adjusting for inflation. The movie is doing muted business so far overseas, for a projected foreign tally of $22 million from 43 markets through Sunday.

    The final verdict on Migration won’t be rendered until New Year’s weekend, as there is no more lucrative stretch of the movie going year than the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

    Migration is looking at a No. 3 weekend finish behind Aquaman and Wonka. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Wonka is on course to earn an estimated $28 million.

    Columbia/Sony’s edgy romantic-comedy Anyone but You is unwrapping a fourth-place finish with an estimated $8 million from 3,055 theaters for the four days. The new pic, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, earned a B+ CinemaScore. (No studio likes anything other than some variation of an A grade for most movies.)

    Females make up nearly 80 percent of all patrons buying tickets to see the rom-com, while males make up at least 66 percent of A24’s Zac Efron-led wrestling family drama The Iron Claw, another title on the Christmas marquee movie. Iron Claw is pacing to open to $6.1 million, also slightly ahead of tracking.

    At the specialty box office, Searchlight Pictures opened Andrew Haigh’s acclaimed All of Us Strangers in four locations in New York and Los Angeles. The awards contender is looking at an estimated location average of $43,000 for four days, one of the best averages of the year.

    Final numbers for the four-day weekend will be released on Tuesday.

    Dec. 24, 8 a.m.: Updated with revised weekend estimates.
    Dec. 24 8:10 a.m.: Updated with revised estimates.

    This story was originally published on Dec. 23 at 8:23 a.m.

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    Pamela McClintock

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  • Prabhas’ ‘Salaar,’ Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Dunki’ in the Charts as ‘Aquaman,’ ‘Wonka’ Lead International Pre-Christmas Box Office

    Prabhas’ ‘Salaar,’ Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Dunki’ in the Charts as ‘Aquaman,’ ‘Wonka’ Lead International Pre-Christmas Box Office

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    “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” led the worldwide box office with a $108 million debut weekend, according to numbers released by Comscore.

    Warner Bros. and DC Studio’s “Aquaman 2” also topped the U.S. box office over the weekend.

    In second place, “Wonka” continued its stellar run with a worldwide weekend of $50.9 million and now has a total of $247 million.

    Indian action epic “Salaar Part 1 – Ceasefire,” led by “Baahubali” star Prabhas and directed by “K.G.F.” filmmaker Prashant Neel, debuted in third position with $39 million. This included $5.5 million in North America, where it also bowed in third place.

    Another Indian film, immigration drama-comedy “Dunki,” headlined by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and directed by hitmaker Rajkumar Hirani (“3 Idiots,” “PK”), was in fourth position with $22.9 million over the weekend. The film has a total of $23.8 million as it opened on Thursday, Dec. 21.

    Monday, Christmas Day, is a public holiday in India, but as the festival is not the country’s dominant one, unlike in the west, numbers are likely to surge for “Salaar” and “Dunki,” since cinemas remain open.

    Rounding off the top five was well-reviewed animation film “Migration,” which had a $20.2 million and has a total of $34.2 million after two weekends on release.

    Chinese-made crime drama, “Endless Journey,” which opened on top of the mainland China box office last week, collected $15 million over the weekend in sixth place globally and has a cumulative total of $59.6 million.

    In seventh position, Disney’s “Wish” earned a further $10.7 million, taking its global total to $144.2 million.

    Epic Korean naval battle film ““Noryang: Deadly Sea,” the third in Kim Han-min’s trilogy after “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” and “Hansan: Rising Dragon,” released in Korea at No. 1 on Dec. 20. Internationally, the film placed eighth with a total of $9.3 million.

    In ninth position, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” added $7 million and now has a total of $314.4 million.

    Closing the top 10 was Korean blockbuster “12.12: The Day” with $6.2 million for a running total of $62.8 million.

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    Naman Ramachandran

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  • Box Office: ‘Aquaman and the Last Kingdom’ Finding Lump of Coal With $40M-Plus Christmas Opening

    Box Office: ‘Aquaman and the Last Kingdom’ Finding Lump of Coal With $40M-Plus Christmas Opening

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    DC’s James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is headed for one of the lowest starts in the history of the DC Cinematic Universe with a projected four-day Christmas weekend gross in the $40 million to $45 million range. The good news: It can still claim a No. 1 finish and is faring slightly better than leading tracking services had predicted.

    The movie earned an estimated $13.7 million Friday from 3,706 theaters, including $4.5 million in Thursday previews. Hollywood studios are never happy when Christmas Day falls on a Monday since the weekend box office has to compete with final Christmas preparations, including travel and gift buying.

    However, Aquaman 2 has larger issues than just that. The big-budget tentpole, reteaming Wan and star Jason Momoa, has been largely rebuked by critics and only earned a B CinemaScore from audiences. The sequel, which faced a troubled road to the big screen, marks the end of an era as new DC chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran reboot the DC Universe with 2025’s Superman: Legacy. (Momoa himself has all but said there won’t be an Aquaman threequel.)

    In 2018, the first Aquaman was the king of the year-end holiday when swimming to a three-day opening of $67.9 million over the Dec. 21-23 weekend. Through Christmas Day — a Tuesday that year — its domestic tally was a rousing $105.4 million (that included several million in special sneak peeks the previous weekend). The movie went on to earn $335.1 million domestically and $1.15 billion globally, the best showing ever for a DCEU title, not adjusted for inflation.

    Wan’s movie lends further credence to the superhero fatigue theory. Even the most ardent fanboys are weary. Aquaman 2 is also trailing the recent $46.1 million opening of box office debacle The Marvels, from rival Marvel Studios.

    A slew of other films also opened Friday. Warners has no fewer than three year-end holiday event movies — Aquaman, Wonka, which opened last weekend, and The Color Purple — a daring feat (to boot, two are musicals).

    In yet another test of the appetite for theatrical animated fare, and especially original stories, Illumination and Universal are contributing Migration to the holiday mix for families.

    The family pic, which earned an A CinemaScore, is expected to earn $13 million for the weekend proper from 3,761 theaters and $18 million for the four days, also ahead of what some tracking services had predicted.

    The final verdict for Migration won’t be rendered until New Year’s weekend. There’s no more lucrative stretch of the moviegoing year than the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

    Migration will come in No. 3 behind Aquaman and Wonka, as the Timothée Chalamet starrer is projected to gross a pleasing $30 million for the four days.

    Columbia/Sony’s edgy romantic-comedy Anyone but You is unwrapping a fourth-place finish with an estimated $9 million from 3,055 theaters for the four days. The pic, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, earned a B+ CinemaScore. (No studio likes anything other than some variation of an A grade for most movies.)

    Females made up 67 percent of Friday ticket buyers, while males made up 66 percent of A24’s Zac Efron-led wrestling family drama The Iron Claw, another title on the Christmas marquee movie. Iron Claw is pacing to open to $8 million, also head of tracking.

    Estimates could shift by Sunday morning.

    More to come.

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    Pamela McClintock

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  • Box Office: ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Starts With Sluggish $4.5M in Thursday Previews

    Box Office: ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Starts With Sluggish $4.5M in Thursday Previews

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    DC’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom started off its Christmas domestic box office run with a sluggish $4.5 million in Thursday previews, well behind the $9 million earned by the first film. The sequel, reteaming director James Wan and star Jason Momoa, caps a year in which the superhero genre has largely struggled at the box office.

    The Warner Bros. tentpole may only swim to $37 million to $43 million in its domestic box office debut over the four-day holiday weekend. That would pale in comparison to 2018’s Aquaman, as well as trail the recent $46.1 million opening of box office debacle The Marvels, from rival Marvel Studios.

    Aquaman 2, which faced a troubled road to the big screen, marks an end to this era of DC as new leaders James Gunn and Peter Safran reboot the DC Extended Universe in 2025’s Superman: Legacy. Momoa himself has said he’s not likely to puruse a third Aquaman movie.

    In 2018, Aquaman‘s official three-day opening over the Dec. 21-23 weekend was $67.9 million. And through Christmas Day — a Tuesday — its domestic tally was a rousing $105.4 million (that included several million in special sneak peeks the previous weekend). The Warner Bros. and DC movie went on to earn $335.1 million domestically and $1.15 billion globally, the best showing ever for a DCEU title, not adjusted for inflation.

    If there’s any consolation, it’s that Aquaman 2 is almost assured of winning what is shaping up to be a sluggish Christmas weekend.

    A slew of other films open Friday opposite The Lost Kingdom. Warners has no fewer than three year-end holiday event movies — Aquaman, Wonka, which opened last weekend, and The Color Purple — a daring feat (and never mind that two are musicals).

    In yet another test of the appetite for theatrical animated fare, and especially original stories, Illumination and Universal open the holiday animated tentpole Migration on Friday. Tracking suggests the family pic will post a four-day gross of $14 million to $15 million. In November, Disney Animation was skewered when Wish opened to $31.6 million over the five-day Thanksgiving corridor, including $19.7 million for the weekend proper.

    Migration earned $1.5 million in previews.

    More to come.

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    Pamela McClintock

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  • DC Studios Boss Says Jason Momoa “Will Always Have a Home at DC,” Even If It’s the “End of the Journey” for ‘Aquaman’

    DC Studios Boss Says Jason Momoa “Will Always Have a Home at DC,” Even If It’s the “End of the Journey” for ‘Aquaman’

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    Peter Safran, the co-head of DC Studios, has shared that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could be Jason Momoa’s final appearance as the legendary comic book character.

    His comment came after the actor also said that the future of the DC superhero franchise is “not looking too good.”

    While recently speaking at the Aquaman sequel event at the IWC Schaffhausen boutique in Beverly Hills, Safran responded to a question about Momoa’s future at DC Studios. “When I think of Jason in this role, he is the definitive Aquaman,” he responded. “He’s redefined it. … It’s really been an 11 or 12-year journey for him — a lot of the audience doesn’t realize that he was cast so long ago. It’s kind of redefined him. When he took this role he was known as Khal Drogo, and now he’s really Aquaman.”

    Heading into Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s theatrical release on Friday, the movie is tracking for a soft opening at the box office, which would pale in comparison to the first installment, released in 2018. The film, directed by James Wan, has also been met with negative reviews and currently has a 38 percent critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In her review, The Hollywood Reporter Arts & Culture Critic Lovia Gyarkye said the sequel is “frustratingly committed to formula.”

    But for Safran, he just hopes fans “will really be here to support him [Momoa] in this journey. If it’s the end of the journey, fine. If it goes on, that’s also fine, but I think it has meant so much to him. The way [director] James [Wan] crafted this second film, it feels like a very complete story when you watch the two films together.”

    He added, “We’ll see what happens with him beyond it. I know that Jason will always have a home at DC, and at Warner Bros. In fact, his next movie is Minecraft.”

    Safran and James Gunn took over DC Studios last year and have been open about creating their own vision for the DC cinematic universe.

    Last week, Momoa talked to Entertainment Tonight about reports that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could be his last time playing the King of Atlantis. “I don’t necessarily want it to be the end… [but] I don’t think it’s really, like, a choice,” he said at the time.

    Though the actor has greatly enjoyed playing the comic book character, he understands that Safran and James Gunn want “to start their own new thing up” at DC Studios.

    “The truth of it is, I mean, if the audience loves it, then there’s a possibility,” Momoa said of the possibility to play Aquaman again. “But right now, I’m like, ‘It’s not looking too good.’”

    He added, “I love this character and [I would want to] play it for a long time. I kind of see where I would want it to go. And even in the next 10 years or so, like there’s a lot of cool things they can do. And I do enjoy the role and the world. So, I mean, it just comes down to if people love it.”

    At the IWC Schaffhausen event, Safran was there as the Swiss luxury watchmaker launched its Aquaman-inspired watches, the Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month, in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures.

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    Carly Thomas

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  • Jason Momoa Says the Future of ‘Aquaman’ Films Is “Not Looking Too Good”

    Jason Momoa Says the Future of ‘Aquaman’ Films Is “Not Looking Too Good”

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    Jason Momoa may love playing Aquaman, but he is unsure about the future of the DC superhero franchise.

    The actor recently opened up to Entertainment Tonight about his concerns regarding future installments while promoting Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which arrives in theaters Dec. 22.

    Addressing reports that the latest movie could be his last time playing the legendary King of Atlantis, Momoa admitted, “I don’t necessarily want it to be the end… [but] I don’t think it’s really, like, a choice.”

    The actor has been open about his appreciation for getting to play Aquaman, especially because he loves the ocean and also wanted to be a marine biologist growing up. But he understands that James Gunn and Peter Safran, who were recently tapped to lead DC Studios, have their own vision for the future of the DC cinematic universe and want “to start their own new thing up.”

    “The truth of it is, I mean, if the audience loves it, then there’s a possibility,” Momoa said of the possibility to play Aquaman again. “But right now, I’m like, ‘It’s not looking too good.’”

    The actor added, “I love this character and [I would want to] play it for a long time. I kind of see where I would want it to go. And even in the next 10 years or so, like there’s a lot of cool things they can do. And I do enjoy the role and the world. So, I mean, it just comes down to if people love it.”

    Momoa first appeared as Aquaman in 2017’s Justice League before leading his own movie the following year.

    Though Aquaman isn’t currently in Gunn and Safran’s DC slate that they unveiled earlier this year, the actor hopes to remain in the superhero universe, even if it’s as a different comic book character.

    “If there’s a place in their world for me, I would love to be a part of it,” Momoa said. “This is my home. Warner and DC is definitely my home. So, that’s all I’ll say.”

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    Carly Thomas

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  • Amber Heard Admits There’s ‘A Ton Of Pressure’ Associated With Her Return In ‘Aquaman’ Sequel

    Amber Heard Admits There’s ‘A Ton Of Pressure’ Associated With Her Return In ‘Aquaman’ Sequel

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    By Brent Furdyk.
    Published:
    Last updated:

    Amber Heard has been maintaining a low profile since facing off against ex-husband Johnny Depp in their trial last year.

    Now, Heard is re-emerging with a role in period drama “In the Fire”, which just premiered at the Taormina Film Festival.

    While discussing the new film, Heard also opened up about another project of hers awaiting release, the upcoming DC sequel “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”.


    READ MORE:
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    Interviewed by Deadline in Taormina, she contrasted her experience of working in a small period drama vs. a big-budget superhero picture.

    “These are very different kinds of projects representing two very different ends of the spectrum in my industry,” she explained.

    “There’s a ton of pressure on these big franchise movies, with millions and millions of dollars at stake, and compromises are part of trying to make it the most successful thing it can be,” she continued.


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    “Then on the other end of the spectrum is a small indie film like ‘In the Fire’, a work of art and work of love, with nowhere near the same resources, and so there are compromises there,” Heard shared. “The best luck you can have as an actor is to be able to balance both.”

    However, she pointed out she was grateful for the opportunity to be part of something as big as “Aquaman”.


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    “‘Aquaman’, that franchise and the machinery behind it, I’m very honoured, honoured to be a part of that. And then there are these small passion projects like ‘In The Fire’, where I’m proud to have gotten to know the filmmaker and the cast, and we got dirty together, to breathe life into this story. There’s something cool about that, and I think success is an actor who is able to have both those things.”

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    Brent Furdyk

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