There is no denying that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, aka Aquaman 2, is one of the highly-anticipated films this year. However, fans have to wait for a while before it finally hits theaters worldwide.
The first installment of the movie series, Aquaman, delivered at the box office and earned over $1 billion, securing a place as the top-grossing DC Comics movie as of this writing. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, alongside a spin-off that has reportedly now been canned, was confirmed after the record-breaking success of its predecessor.
While everything is not set in stone yet, there is plenty of information to keep fas ticking over about the imminent DC sequel. Here is everything we know so far about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Release Date: When Is Aquaman 2 Coming To Theaters?
The second installment of the Jason Momoa-led film series will be released on Dec. 20, 2023, in the United States and on Dec. 26, 2023, in the United Kingdom. Initially, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was set for a Dec. 16, 2022, release schedule before it was pushed back to March 17, 2023, to allow time for VFX to be completed.
Warner Bros Discovery then shifted it back to its present date to spread out marketing costs for 2023. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was shot between June 2021 and January 2022, but it also underwent a number of reshoots in July 2022.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Cast: Who Are Returning In Aquaman 2?
Jason Momoa is set to make his return as Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Rumors are rife that Amber Heard, who became controversial during her divorce trial with Johnny Depp in 2022, would also make a return as Mera.
Patrick Wilson, who portrayed the role of Orm, also confirmed his return and teased fans about what to expect in the forthcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom movie. The actor shared:
“I can tell you that even [Wan’s] concepts for Aquaman 2 are pushing it even further.”
Yahya Abdul-Mateen also revealed that he would reprise his role as Black Manta, who is expected to be the primary villain in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom movie. Other returning cast also includes Pilou Asbaek in a surprise role, Indya Moore as Karshon, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry and Willem Dafoe as Nuidius Vulko.
There have been talks that Ben Affleck is also appearing as Batman in the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom movie. Others even speculate that Michael Keaton could show up as Affleck’s Batman following his return in The Flash.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Plot: What Is Aquaman 2 About?
There are limited details about the plot of the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom movie. However, here is its official synopsis:
"When an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation.”
It remains unclear who the “unlikely ally” would be in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. But, there have been speculations that it would likely be Orm, who Aquaman defeated at the end of the first installment, leading to Aquaman unseating Orm as the rightful king of Atlantis.
In other words, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom would likely pick up in the early days of King Aquaman’s reign in Atlantis. Writer Johnson-McGoldrick previously told a fan on Twitter to look for some teasers.
He said:
"We're not taking any one particular comic book story and adapting it, but if you want to know the vibe we're going for, pick up pretty much any Silver Age story featuring Black Manta.”
Interestingly, Jason Momoa divulged earlier this year that he co-wrote his own treatment for the movie with Brian Mendoza. The actor told Variety:
"The beautiful thing [about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom] is me and my partner wrote the first treatment for it, and it was about a 55-page treatment, and a lot of it has to deal with me talking to the UN about what's happening with the melting ice caps.”
Momoa added:
"There's no far off galaxy coming to destroy us or aliens from another place. It's us ruining our planet. We need to get it together and save our home."
However, Momoa stated in April that Warner Bros did not adapt their treatment in its entirety. So, devoted followers of the movie series should wait and see how many of their ideas made it into the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom movie.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Trailer: Any Aquaman 2 Teaser Yet?
Meanwhile, Warner Bros has not yet released any official trailer for the much-awaited Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as of this writing. However, there was a very brief snippet released from the sequel in the teaser of DC’s 2022 slate.
Stay tuned to EpicFlix for the latest news and updates about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom!
