James Wan says the reshoots for DC Studios‘ Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom only lasted for “seven or eight days” and were “nothing for a movie of this size.”
In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Wan downplayed Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s behind-the-scenes drama following reports about extensive reshoots and multiple scenes being cut from the film. “I’ve had to learn to be more Zen in dealing with all the noise around me, for sure,” Wan said.
“I’m a pretty private person. I don’t get on social media and have fights, but it’s difficult because this narrative has emerged that is not the reality. The noise is fun to write about, and it gets clicks, but people don’t know the truth,” he continued. “Look, I’m a collaborative filmmaker — I welcome people’s thoughts and opinions. But ultimately, I feel I have more than proven myself. So, it was like: ‘This is the movie I want to make.’”
The director concluded, “We probably did seven or eight days [of reshoots], which is nothing for a movie of this size. It was just spread out because it’s so hard to get your actors back once you’ve finished the initial shoot.”
What is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom about?
Directed by Wan, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a sequel to 2018’s Aquaman and the final film in the DCEU. It stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as Orm Marius, Amber Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna.
“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 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.”
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on December 20, 2023.
