10 Things You Didn’t Know About Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

Aquaman flooded cinemas with its Mediterranean climax, making it much more than just a fish-out-of-water blockbuster. After a five-year-long wait, the first glimpse of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been a sigh of relief for DCEU fans. But with so much stacked against the movie and never-ending controversies, there is much more to the sequel than meets the eye. Here are 10 surprising things you didn’t know about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to spark your curiosity before its release this month:

 

10. Revisiting ’60s Horror

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to soak in even more of James Wan’s take on horror. Unlike its prequel, which only touches on the genre, the sequel has a more old-school, retro approach to horror featuring Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion villains.

Audiences can expect Atlantic chaos packed with epic action sets, mechanical creatures, and a sci-fi Euro-shocker feeling. Get ready to pique your curiosity and imagination with Black Manta, Orm, and many unseen faces.

 

9. The Octopus is back!

When Aquaman was released, the bioluminescence of Atlantis and its mystical sea creatures took over people’s hearts. But nothing stole the show like the few odd seconds Topo the octopus appeared on screen.

The comics illustrate what a big part of Aquaman’s life Topo is – finally, the movie plans to highlight their budding friendship, too. The sequel is all set to bring him back into action as a real character this time. Time to get the Bongos out!

 

8. Jason Momoa Wrote the Outline

Jason Momoa didn’t just star in the sequel – he poured his heart into an extensive plot outline for Aquaman 2: The Lost Kingdom as soon as he finished filming the first installation. According to Momoa, “it’s got [his] heart in it,” because he feels strongly connected to his role as Arthur Curry.

Rumor has it that the sequel includes more storytelling and an insider view of each character than the prequel. Are you ready to experience the various colors of Arthur and his counterparts?

 

7. But then Warner Bros. changed it all.

Not long after Momoa announced his exciting involvement with the storyline, disappointment drowned it all out. The King of the Seven Seas gave it his all, but unfortunately, Warner Bros set off in an entirely different direction. Initially, the plan was inspired heavily by cult horror.

Unfortunately, all their original ideas were scrapped. Momoa expressed his disappointment, and critics also feel like his heart isn’t in the Aquaman franchise anymore.

 

6. Amber Heard’s Problematic Role

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s tumultuous public trial has been difficult to escape. Retaining Heard as Mera was a tough decision – on the one hand, the story would be incomplete without her; on the other, the negative attention has proven difficult to escape.

The second Aquaman 2 trailer didn’t feature Mera at all. Whether reducing Heard’s role was justified or not, the poor optics and distasteful approach to carving out her screen time will be obvious to returning viewers.

 

5. Test Screenings were Questionable

All the drama aside, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s test screenings have been disappointing so far. Viewers were shown multiple versions of the movie; sadly, all performed abysmally, with people walking out mid-way through during specific scenes.

The DCEU has already been plagued with declining performance in recent years, and unfortunately, it might remain the case with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The disappointing early viewings have generated a lot of negative publicity that doesn’t look good for the movie’s final numbers.

 

4. A Fight for Views

The holiday season is always stacked with releases, and given the overlapping audiences, there’s no denying a fight for views. Even if Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the only superhero film set to release this December, there is plenty of competition.

Critically acclaimed movies like romcom Anyone but You, Zac Efron’s The Iron Claw, and much-anticipated American Fiction are all set to release for general audiences on the same date as Aquaman 2.

 

3. Unprofessional Behavior on Set

Amber Heard’s reputation to one side, multiple media outlets have reported problematic behavior on the Aquaman 2 set. Allegedly, Jason Momoa showed up to set intoxicated, dressed like Johnny Depp in retaliation of the studio casting Heard. There were also attempts to fire Heard numerous times, according to documents shared during the Depp-Heard trial from her therapist, Dr. Dawn Hughes. The drama gets even more complicated as rumor has it that director James Wan chimed into the harassment.

Although a DC spokesperson refuted the claims, the damage has left a dent with viewers puzzled about who’s telling the truth in this “he said she said” situation.

 

2. Timeline Confusion

Arthur Curry made his debut in the Justice League movie, but it didn’t matter because the Aquaman movie tweaked his backstory. Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom is hinted to be the bridge between DC and DCEU stories. However, it’s been difficult to tell when the sequel is set from the trailers.

Audiences already know that The Lost Kingdom follows up where the prequel left off – but exactly how many years has it been? Some spoilers suggest, like in real-time, that it’s been five years since Aquaman’s last adventure, but others do not corroborate this timeframe. Let’s hope the movie sheds light on how far ahead Aquaman really is in the future.

 

1. Projections Hint a Major Disappointment

The DCEU has long lost its flair, with The Flash, Shazam, and Black Adam being box office flops. It will be challenging for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to break this track record despite its prequel success. It doesn’t help that the Screen Actors Guild strike significantly limited marketing ops like red carpet appearances and press tours.

There’s still time left for the movie’s release, but it might be too little too late for a meaningful campaign. Without the right kind of buzz, the anticipation surrounding Aquaman 2 will likely not live up to expectations.