In the case of the DC Extended Universe, franchises have generally been touch and go. But early box office estimates for Aquaman have apparently compelled Warner Bros. executives to start thinking about Arthur Curry’s future. In a new profile spotlighting co-star Amber Heard, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Aquaman 2 is currently in development.
According to THR, Aquaman is tracking for a $65 million opening, which was enough to convince Warner Bros. Chairman Toby Emmerich to greenlight a second installment. It goes without saying that this number pales in comparison to most other superhero blockbusters. Regardless, the movie is expected to claim the top spot at the box office from Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns and Paramount’s Bumblebee. All three films come out the week of December 21. It also helps that early reactions to Aquaman have been positive, with critics praising it as a lighthearted origin story.
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Heard’s profile says that no screenwriter has been tapped to pen the sequel yet. However, Jason Momoa already has a few ideas in mind. Two months ago, the actor told TotalFilm (via Syfy Wire) that he “[has] the opening of Aquaman 2 ready. I went in and pitched it to [producer Peter] Safran, and I pitched it to [Warner Bros. chairman] Toby Emmerich. They loved it. It’s awesome…But yeah, I have plans for Aquaman 2.”
Director James Wan similarly acknowledged that there are a number of places a sequel could go. “There’s definitely stories, even within the world we’ve created, that you can actually see other storylines [spinning off from] as well,” said Wan. “There’s the Aquaman story, but then there’s the stories of the seven different kingdoms as well. I think those would be very fun to explore.”
Are you excited by the possibility of an Aquaman 2? Which storylines or characters would you like to see the filmmakers include? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
