Aquaman 2 Just Hit Another Major Production Milestone
After spending decade after decade on the receiving end of jokes and struggling to find his footing as a fan-favorite, Aquaman finally got his act together in 2018. For the first time, the aquatic Justice League member starred in his own live-action solo adventure at the movies, with Jason Momoa portraying him and James Wan in the director's chair. To call the film a success would be an understatement, seeing as it cracked the $1 billion mark and sent the majority of moviegoers home happy, thus proving Aquaman could hold his own as the centerpiece of a franchise.
Unsurprisingly, Warner Bros. didn't ignore that level of achievement and quickly decided to go all-in on such a business prospect. Aside from a horror spin-off titled "The Trench" — a project that never quite got off the ground before being suddenly canceled in April of 2021 –, the studio opted for the direct sequel route as well. Momoa and Wan, as well as Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, signed on to return, alongside newcomers like Jani Zhao, and the feature eventually adopted the intriguing title "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."
Filming of the sequel began in July of 2021, and by the time January 2022 rolled around, it reached a major production milestone.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has wrapped filming
On January 12, James Wan supplied DC and "Aquaman" fans with the news they'd been waiting for: confirmation that "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" has wrapped filming. "A THOUSAND THANK YOUs to all the incredible crew who worked so hard and tirelessly on this picture...Truly some of the finest artisans and craftspeople I've had the good fortune to work with," Wan wrote on Instagram under a photo of him, Patrick Wilson, and Jason Momoa. He noted that there's still plenty of work on the horizon, but he's excited to soon share the feature with the world.
Pending any COVID-19-related delays, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" aims to hit the silver screen on December 16, 2022. That may seem like a long time to wait, but fret not, eager DC fan, as there are a handful of exciting films set in the DC universe to enjoy in the meantime. First and foremost, director Matt Reeves' "The Batman" will release in March, followed by "DC League of Super-Pets" in May. To keep the ball rolling into the second half of the year, moviegoers can expect "Black Adam" and "The Flash" to reach cinemas in July and November, respectively.
"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" has been a long time coming, and with its principal photography now over, we're now one huge step closer to seeing what it has to offer.