Ah, Aquaman. A movie about a half-human, half-Atlantean who can talk to fish. What’s not to love? Apparently, a lot, because the sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, is not looking so hot at the box office.
2023 has been a real bummer for the DC Universe. Every big release has been a bit of a dud, and it looks like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is next in line. According to Deadline, the film is projected to open to a lackluster $50-$60 million over the Christmas weekend. Ouch.
But hey, it’s not all doom and gloom. Those numbers are pretty similar to The Flash’s opening weekend, and that movie did okay in the long run. Maybe Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will follow suit. Or maybe it’ll crash and burn if the reviews aren’t great. Who knows?
The future of the DC Universe is up in the air, with a new reboot on the horizon. But fear not, James Gunn and Peter Safran have a plan. They’re all about locked scripts, a unified storyline across various media, and bringing back elements from previous DC regimes. In other words, it’s not a full reboot, just a little shakeup.
We’ve already seen Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Blue Beetle under this new DC Universe, with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom still to come. Will the characters from these movies make appearances in the new DCU? Who knows? Only Gunn and Safran have the answers, and they’re not telling.
