As revealed recently, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom release date has been delayed by almost nine months. The reports say that the delay is part of a major reshuffling that is currently taking place at Warner Bros. Discovery. To be fair, this isn’t the only movie with a release date change. The sequel to Shazam! has also been moved to a new date.
New Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Release Date
Originally, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was slated for a release on March 17, 2023. With the new change in effect, the movie will now be released on December 25, 2023. In its place, Shazam! Fury of the Gods will now be released on the original release date of the Aquaman sequel. The Shazam! sequel was also supposed to be released in December this year. But with the studio changes taking place, the movie has been moved to a later release date.
Why Was the Release Date for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Changed?
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the new studio owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, plans to spread out its marketing and distribution costs. In fact, the studio has also canceled Batgirl as part of this new executive decision. Despite already being completed, the HBO Max-bound movie will not be released on any platform. Hopefully, the movie will only be shelved for the timebeing and not permanently since it reportedly already had a production expense of $90 million. The report also revealed that the Joker sequel, Joker: Folie a Deux, will be released on October 4, 2024. Another report says that these changes are part of new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s plans to refocus the studio to create theatrical films instead of streaming projects.
Other Changes for Warner Bros. Upcoming Projects
Apart from the ones mentioned, here are the new release dates for these films and shows:
Salem’s Lot - TBA (previously April 21, 2023)A Christmas Story Christmas - November 17, 2022Holiday Holiday - November 24, 2022A Christmas Mystery - November 24, 2022A Hollywood Christmas - December 1, 2022House Party - December 9, 2022Evil Dead Rise - April 21, 2023The Nun 2 - September 8, 2023
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Story
Warner Bros. Discovery shared the first plot details of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. It reads: “When an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation.” At this point, that’s all we know about the story of the Aquaman sequel.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Cast
Most of the original cast of Aquaman are coming back to reprise their roles. And even though there was a call to remove and replace Amber Heard from her role, the studio pushed through with the actress. The main cast includes:
Jason Momoa (as Arthur Curry/Aquaman)Amber Heard (as Princess Mera)Patrick Wilson (as Orm Marius/Ocean Master)Dolph Lundgren (as King Nereus)Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (as Black Manta)Willem Dafoe (as Nuidis Vulko)Nicole Kidman (as Atlanna)Vincent Regan (as Atlan)Jani Zhao (as Stingray)Ben AffleckRandall Park (as Dr. Stephen Shin)
Is There an Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Trailer?
Right now, there is no trailer available for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. This is because the movie is currently still in post-production. For now, you can watch this behind the scenes clip taken by IGN Movie Trailers: RELATED: Gal Gadot’s DCEU Future Reportedly Revealed Amidst WB Discovery Shake-Up
