Aquaman will be the next film to hit theaters for the DC Extended Universe and it represents the first post-Justice League superhero film from Warner Bros. and its reported move away from a Marvel-style shared universe. James Wan will be directing and promised a fun film during Warner’s presentation at a CinemaCon, dropping some of the first footage for the film ahead of its release in December. Wan was joined by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Jason Momoa, and panel host Will Arnett to debut the footage according to Variety:
“I’m a blunt instrument and I’m damn good at it,” Momoa says at one point in the footage.
The film will delve into Aquaman’s backstory. One of the more arresting images from the film finds a young Aquaman catching a trident with his bare hands.
Director James Wan said the film’s effects are very much a work-in-progress, but told the crowd of theater owners that he hoped they could “catch a glimpse of something that may represent the fun film I’m going for.”
Deadline points out that the footage depicts some of the plot points for the film, with Patrick Wilson’s Ocean Master — complete with a really blonde wig — battling against Arthur Curry for the throne of Atlantis. There are “fish people sometimes riding sea horses, and futuristic submarines,” plenty of underseas royal intrigue, and a pending war with the surface world over pollution and their treatment of the oceans. They also compare the film to Black Panther in terms of plot, so it’s likely to live in that shadow ahead of its release.
The presentation also featured some fine jabs from Arnett — and some thrown at him too — about Momoa’s prior job over at Game Of Thrones according to Deadline:
Will Arnett hosted the Warner Bros presentation and before the clip was full of zingers. “You’re the best f’n Batman,” Momoa told Arnett. “Let’s keep the F-bombs to a minimum,” The Arrested Development actor answered.
“You went from Game of Thrones to Aquaman — does it feel good to work in something that’s more realistic?” Arnett asked Momoa.
We also have confirmation from Patty Jenkins that Wonder Woman 2 will be set in the 1980s, while the filmmakers behind Shazam showed some behind-the-scenes footage of Zachary Levi in costume. It might seem like a small force in the shadow of Avengers: Infinity War, but it should be promising for fans looking for a reset after the lukewarm reception for Justice League.
(Via Variety / Deadline)