WithAquaman,James Wangets to introduce superhero fans to a whole new world of fantasy and adventure – and it’s a world that’s right here on Earth. The first solo film forJason Momoa’s Atlantean hero first introduced inZack Snyder’sJustice Leaguewill travel to Atlantis and back in a globe-trotting superhero movie that puts a priority on heart and humor, and building a colorful world of wonders (including some signature James Wan’s creature creations.)
WithAquamanarriving in theaters later this year, I recently joined a small group of journalists at Warner Bros. studios, where we visited the edit bay with Wan, saw a few minutes of new footage, and spoke with the director about his vision for bringing the Wonders of Atlantis and one of the world’s goofier superheros to the screen.
As for the footage, here’s a quick rundown on what we saw. First off was the film’s prologue, a lovely little glimpse at the love story between Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) and Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison), and how it sets the stage for the man Arthur will become. When a raging storm washes Atlanna onto the shores of Curry’s lighthouse, the good-natured man takes her in to care for her and gets a whole lot more than he bargains for. The Queen of at Atlantis is a bit peculiar at first, trying to eat Thomas’s fish, wary of warm tea, and of humans in general, but the two share a lovely chemistry and a good bit of humor, and ultimately a child, but when the Atlantean soldiers come knocking down their door, Atlanna has to make an impossible choice (and kick a whole lot of ass). Wielding her trident, the sea queen zips around the room to take out the soldiers — a sequence shot in an extended take (more on that below) to really show off what this fierce ruler can do. Cut to a few years later, and we see Aurthur as a child on a field trip to the aquarium, and what is he doing? Talking to the fish, naturally.
Next up, we got a peak at the ancient combat ritual between Arthur and Orm (Patrick Wilson), which we saw teased in the trailer. The contentious brothers battle it out for the throne under water — Arthur using his Atlanna’s trident and Orm using his father’s, which he boasts has never known defeat. I’m reluctant to break down this footage in too much detail because there are some pretty spoilery elements therein, but let’s just say Wan’s underwater world is full of color and creatures (andAmber Heard’s Mera wears one seriously stunning Jellyfish dress), and his underwater action looks pretty similar to what we’ve seen in the DCEU before. Don’t expect air bubbles or slow movements — these are Atlanteans and they don’t move under water the way we do. They’re fast and ferocious, and while the world of water bends around them a bit, their hair flowing behind them, they move like superheroes. The best bit about this footage is the stakes it establishes in the dynamic between Arthur and Orm, who promises to bring the fury of the seven seas to the mainland and hates his brother for pretty understandable reasons. We also get a glimpse of the wise Vulko and get to see Mera use her powers to potent effect.
We also watched the footage revealed at comic-con, and you can read a full breakdown of that here if you missed it, as well as a few moments of banter and action with Arthur and Mera. Overall, this movie looks fun and fantastical – some drumming octopi might be my favorite thing I saw the whole day – infused with color and lots of Wan’s signature creativity. For more of what we learned, check out my breakdown of the key details below.
