Looks like moviegoers won’t be spending Christmas Day with Arthur Curry after all. Jason Momoa’s next big-screen appearance as the king of Atlantis has been targeting a December 25 release date since last August. But according to Deadline, Warner Bros. has decided to move Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom up five days to Wednesday, December 20.
This isn’t the first time that WB has shuffled the movie’s premiere window. Originally, the studio wanted to release The Lost Kingdom in December 2022 before moving it to March 17, the date that ended up going to Shazam! Fury of the Gods last month. The latter switch ultimately prompted the Aquaman sequel’s move to Christmas of 2023, where it remained until today’s announcement.
On one hand, it makes sense for WB to move The Lost Kingdom away from the actual Christmas holiday, where it can try to maximize its box office gains without having to worry about things like seasonal travel. And following the disappointing financial performance of Fury of the Gods, which will likely not break even, the studio needs all the help it can get at this point. Deadline also notes that a September 22 release date, which WB was initially reserving for another DC film, has been removed from the schedule entirely. As far as we know, the only other DC movies slated for release this year are The Flash and Blue Beetle, which bow on June 16 and August 18, respectively.
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Aside from Momoa, The Lost Kingdom will feature the return of other Aquaman stars like Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman, and Randall Park. Ben Affleck is also making a cameo appearance as Bruce Wayne/Batman, which will probably be the last time he ever shows up in the DC Extended Universe or the new DCU.
Additionally, the sequel will introduce a handful of new characters, including Stingray (Jani Zhao) and Karshon (Indya Moore). Vincent Regan is also replacing Graham McTavish as Atlantis’ first king, Atlan, while former Game of Thrones star Pilou Asbæk is reportedly starring as the film’s main villain.
How do you feel about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom changing its release date again? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
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