“Well, the first movie took a lot of people by surprise, right? And that’s partially because they were not familiar with the comic book, which deals in this very lurid, strange world…People were taken aback that I didn’t throw all that stuff away and make a dark, heavy film. But I didn’t feel that would have been right for it. So, with the second film, I feel it will be easier for people to accept where we go because I’ve already laid the foundation.”

The director also offered insight into his inspirations for the film, noting the 1965 Italian horror film Planet of the Vampires. The campy, sci-fi scary movie sees a spaceship crew battling one another on a foreign planet as their minds and bodies are taken over by disembodied beings. Fresh off the development and release of Malignant, Wan’s Giallo-inspired slasher that Collider’s review called bonkers in the best way, it’s safe to say some of that inspiration rolled over into the dark and mysterious oceans of the DCEU. Wan has also posted hints specifically pertaining to the lost kingdom of Atlantis known as Necrus. In the comic, Necrus is a vanishing city, foiled against Atlantis. It disappears and reappears in different spots through the wonder of technology. Wan hinted about the challenges of making the sequel, especially since the film will be the final installment in this iteration of the DCEU.

I’ve had to make adjustments all along the way. The DCU has been through lots of different versions, and one of the things that was challenging about this film was keeping track of what’s going on. Fortunately, the Aquaman universe is pretty far removed from the rest of the world. We’re going to many different underwater kingdoms that are not necessarily related to what’s happening with the other movies and characters, so we’re stand-alone in that respect. So I can just tell my story on its own without being affected too much, but at the same time, I have to be mindful of what’s been happening.

When Did ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Film?Image via Warner Bros.

In early June 2021, James Wan revealed the title via a picture from a production meeting. Cameras officially started rolling later that month, with Momoa revealing he first landed in London to start filming in July 2021 with production wrapping in January 2022. The film reportedly went through three sets of reshoots as well in order to accommodate the ever-changing DC Universe.