Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM

Jason Momoa Patrick Wilson

Opens Boxing Day

Foreground: Aquaman's longtime enemy Black Manta re-emerges to avenge his father's death. To defeat him Aquaman must turn to his imprisoned brother Orm the former King of Atlantis.

Background: The cinema business has a lot riding on this $300 million DC Comics blockbuster. While the first Aquaman movie grossed $1.5 billion that was back in 2018 when superhero movies were invincible. The landscape is radically different in 2023 with many superhero flicks tanking due to audiences tiring of the genre.

Close-Up: If anyone can charm a would-be ticket buyer to part with their money it is the ultra-charismatic Momoa. He has kept pushing hard to sell the movie despite consistent rumours of studio interference and reshoots (production originally wrapped almost two years ago) and the controversy surrounding co-star Amber Heard.