Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is now slated to open in theaters five days earlier than its previously-announced Christmas Day release date.
The upcoming DC Extended Universe sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will arrive in theaters slightly earlier than previously expected.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was previously slated to bow on Monday, Dec. 25 — Christmas Day. According to Deadline, however, the film will now release in theaters five days earlier on Wednesday, Dec. 20. This puts Warner Bros. and DC’s Aquaman sequel in direct competition with Sony’s untitled Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel, which opens on Dec. 20 as well. Lost Kingdom will also have to contend with Illumination and Universal’s animated feature Migration, which opens on Friday, Dec. 22.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Pictures’ new cinematic treatment of The Color Purple has traded places with Lost Kingdom, moving from Dec. 20 to Dec. 25. The studio’s upcoming mobster film The Wise Guys has itself set a Feb. 2, 2024 debut, leaving the animated Wizard of Oz spinoff film Toto without a release date for the time being. That said, the film adaptation of Minecraft featuring Aquaman star Jason Momoa is officially a go for April 4, 2024. Finally, Warner Bros. has carved out a Dec. 19, 2025 release date for a movie that will be named at a later date. At the same time, however, the studio has scrubbed the Sept. 22 slot it was previously holding for a mystery DC film.
Jason Momoa’s Aquaman Returns This December
Lost Kingdom serves as a direct sequel to 2018’s Aquaman, with the aforementioned Momoa set to reprise his role as the eponymous DC superhero. The sequel also stars Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman and Randall Park, who reprise their roles as Mera, Nuidis Vulko, Orm Marius/Ocean Master, King Nereus, David Kane/Black Manta, Tom Curry, Atlanna and Dr. Stephen Shin, respectively.
Additionally, Lost Kingdom features Ben Affleck in what will likely be his final appearance as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The sequel also features a number of newcomers — namely, Vincent Regan as Atlan, Jani Zhao as Stingray and Indya Moore as Karhson. Finally, Pilou Asbæk has been cast in an undisclosed role.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Ends the DCEU
While the upcoming June release The Flash is expected to push the “reboot” button on DC’s cinematic universe, December’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom actually serves as the symbolic end of the DCEU as we know it. The Aquaman sequel will be the final film green-lit prior to the James Gunn-Peter Safran regime to be released. Gunn and Safran’s revamped DC Universe is expected to kick off on July 11, 2025 with the theatrical release of Superman: Legacy.
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Some established DCEU actors are expected to continue playing their same roles following the DCU reboot (e.g. Viola Davis as Amanda Waller). That said, Momoa’s future within the franchise is currently unclear. Rumors suggest that Lost Kingdom will mark the Momoa’s final time playing Arthur Curry/Aquaman, as Gunn and Safran have tentative plans to repackage the actor as a different DC character, Lobo. Momoa himself added fuel to these rumors back in January, saying, “I’ll always be Aquaman. Ain’t anyone coming in there and taking shit. There might be some other characters, too. I can play other things, too. I can be funny and savage and charming.” Nevertheless, the actor believes there is very much a place for Aquaman in the new DCU.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in theaters on Dec. 20.
Source: Deadline
