James Wan Reveals His Aquaman 2 Pitch For Warner Bros.
To close out the DC Extended Universe before the introduction of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe reboot, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is on its way to theaters. Jason Momoa's Aquaman will take the DC spotlight one last time as he teams up with his brother and rival, Orm (Patrick Wilson), to take down the villainous Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Like the first "Aquaman" feature, this film is helmed by seasoned director James Wan, who has shared the pitch he put together for Warner Bros. higher-ups regarding the long-awaited sequel.
Speaking to Empire, Wan shared that he had clear ideas of what he wanted both "Aquaman" movies to be from the outset. The first film was pitched as a romantic comedy, while the second was presented as more of a buddy comedy effort. "Jason plays Arthur larger-than-life; Patrick plays the straight man. It's not unlike what Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones did in 'Men In Black' – like Tommy, Patrick plays it dry, but very funny," the director explained, noting that he had "Tango & Cash" in mind when he first started ironing out the story details of "The Lost Kingdom."
Despite these tonal and stylistic differences, Wan is confident that both "Aquaman" films will fit perfectly beside each other. In fact, he doesn't really see the franchise as a distinct set of two movies.
Wan sees the Aquaman films as one big movie
Most superhero movies tend to stay in a pretty similar realm when it comes to genre. The vast majority are action flicks mixed with elements of comedy or drama. The "Aquaman" films certainly don't deviate much from this tried and true approach, being light, jokey, and action-packed affairs first and foremost. At the same time, as James Wan points out, they do contrast when compared to one another. Romantic and buddy comedies are rather different styles of film, so it's natural to wonder if they'll feel a bit too different from one another when placed side-by-side.
Thankfully, Wan pointed out during his Empire interview that the narrative behind the two "Aquaman" movies ensures their cohesion. He's even gone as far as claiming that they're not really two separate entities. "It's like they're one big movie. If you watch them back-to-back, they roll right into each other," he explained. It seems that Aquaman fans won't have to worry too much about the aquatic hero's second solo movie failing to attach properly to the first. The story itself will smooth over the transition for moviegoers as the sequel jumps to a different tone and style than its predecessor.
"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" premieres on December 20.