James Wan Talks AQUAMAN 2 and Teases Its "Very Retro, '60s Horror Look"
It’s going to be really interesting to see what happens with Warner Bros. release Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in theaters. A lot of people think it will completely bomb at the box office, while others say that it could end up being a bigger hit than people are expecting. Only time will tell.
Regardless of what the outcome is, director James Wan set out to make a sequel that he hopes fans will enjoy, and with the Aquaman franchise, he took things to an outlandish level. While speaking with Empire Magazine about the upcoming sequel, Wan talked a little bit about the tone of the film and how he was inspired by the stop-motion creatures created by Ray Harryhausen, along with Euro-horror films like the 1965 film Planet of the Vampires. He explained:
“There was an element of horror in the first film, but this second movie definitely has more of that. That became the design foundation. The Lost Kingdom has a very retro, ‘60s horror look. We have this huge action set-piece where Arthur and Orm fight [Black Manta’s] henchmen, using the ‘Octobot’ – this mechanical squid thing. That was really fun to shoot.”
It’s explained that fans can expect unsettling mechanical creatures with an “old-school sci-fi and horror” feeling. I like what Wan is looking to do with the style and tone! That’s really cool and fun! The question is, will the creative team actually tell a good story?
The director also says he’s always wanted to make an “outright buddy comedy” movie, and Aquaman 2 allowed him to do that with Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry teaming up with his brother Orm, played by Patrick Wilson. Wan mentioned Tango & Cash as another inspiration for the movie. Wan also likened the characters to Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in the first Men in Black, saying: “Like Tommy, Patrick plays it dry, but very funny.”
In the film, “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,” the official Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom synopsis reads. “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.”
The movie also stars Amber Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.
Warner Bros. will release the film in theaters on December 20th.