Posted in: Aquaman, Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: aquaman, aquaman and the lost kingdom, dc studios, james wan, warner bros discovery

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: The "Dream" Of A Seven Kingdom Universe

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan explains that his dream would be to create "Seven Kingdoms cinematic universe."

While Aquaman did have some of the baggage of the previous DC Studios movies and all the drama that followed, it felt a little more removed, which was probably one reason it did well. Both of the DC films that did well were removed from that primary timeline either by location [Aquaman] or time period [Wonder Woman]. Much like Blue Beetle, it isn't so weighed down that it couldn't slide into James Gunn and Peter Safran's ideas for the future DC universe. Director James Wan isn't unaware that these films feel more standalone, and during an event for the trailer release for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom [via Total Film], Wan explained that he believes there are more places to go.

"The Jason Momoa story as Aquaman definitely has more places to go. The world building is very important," Wan explained. "We enjoy all the different worlds that no other superhero movies go into. That's what's so cool about the Aquaman films: it's really standalone. It lives in its own universe.

Wan explains that he wouldn't mind creating his own mini cinematic universe within that small corner of the DC universe. He explained that the inspiration and spirit for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are very similar to the first film.

"My dream would be to create a Seven Kingdoms cinematic universe and visit all the different worlds that we touch on with these two films. Like the first movie, this one leans into the Ray Harryhausen spirit even more," he continued. "There are shades of Jules Verne in this as well. As you can see in the trailer, I'm aesthetically leaning pretty heavily into the 1960s Silver Age comic book of Aquaman, so a lot of the designs in this film have a very retro feeling. The spirit and the tone is very retro. It is a little bit darker than the first movie, as second movies tend to be, which felt like the correct progression for this film."

If there was ever someone who could be trusted to manage his own little corner of a cinematic universe, it's James Wan. Maybe the Jason Momoa lead Aquaman movies won't have a place in the primary DC universe, but that doesn't mean this avenue of storytelling is over. Since it is more removed, this would be a perfect series to throw the label of Elseworlds on and let Wan go nuts, continuity be damned.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

Director James Wan and Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa—along with Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Nicole Kidman—return in the sequel to the highest-grossing DC film of all time: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father's death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time, Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman's family and the world from irreversible destruction.

All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman's half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother's reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis' Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father's death by destroying Aquaman, his family and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.

Directed by Wan, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is produced by Peter Safran, Wan, and Rob Cowan. The executive producers are Galen Vaisman and Walter Hamada. The screenplay is by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, from a story by James Wan & David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Jason Momoa & Thomas Pa'a Sibbett, based on characters from DC, Aquaman created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger.

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