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?
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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