Jason Momoa’s upcoming superhero film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom faces scrutiny after reports of poor-performing test screenings emerge.
While fans have been waiting quite a while for Jason Momoa’s upcoming sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, multiple reports now confirm poor-performing test screenings.
Big Screen Leaks and film critic Jeff Sneider backed up an initial report from ViewerAnon suggesting Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom held half a dozen test screenings, yielding bleak results for the James Wan-directed movie. According to Big Screen Leaks, the studio purposely avoided answering questions about the DCU movie because “test screenings for this film have not been good,” while also claiming to hear “something that almost never happened in test screenings happened with this movie.” Sneider followed up those quips by stating the bad test screenings are part of the reason Jason Momoa has been tipped to join a long-rumored Lobo live-action project.
Is Aquaman 2 in Trouble?
The early reports about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are damning considering months of reports about the future of the Aquaman film franchise amid rumors of Momoa playing Lobo in the DCU. That’s not even counting the film’s return of Mera actor Amber Heard, whose presence has become controversial after sordid details from the defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp. Since last November, Momoa has been teasing an upcoming dream project he’s working on at DC Studios following a meeting with co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. While he hasn’t confirmed he will play Lobo, the star is an avid fan of the bounty-hunting DC Comics character. Though Momoa reaffirmed his love for Aquaman, he has hinted multiple times that he’s interested in playing other roles within the DCU.
Sneider alluded to the original Aquaman movie being “awful, too,” a similar sentiment various critics hurled upon the film following its 2018 release. While Wan and Momoa were praised for their work, many reviews bashed the movie for its plot and dialogue. Despite the concerns, Aquaman went on to great box-office success, grossing $1.149 billion at the global box office on a budget of up to $200 million. Additionally, Momoa met with Gunn and Safran in January about the character’s future, after which he conveyed optimism. “[I’m feeling] really f-king good. Aquaman’s not going anywhere, so it’s alright,” he said. “Everything’s gonna be good, we’re still here and then I might be dipping into some other things too.”
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Does Aquaman Fit in the DCU?
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom comes during a time of major change at DC Studios following the arrival of Gunn and Safran last October, with a fresh movie and TV slate announced as well as the axing of Wonder Woman 3 and the decision to cease featuring Henry Cavill as Superman. Before Gunn and Safran arrived, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom faced an uphill battle after Warner Bros. reduced Wan’s reshoot budget as they tried to reduce expenses during restructuring. The budget reduction has reportedly constrained Wan while reshooting the movie, which has already cost $205 million to shoot.
The Aquaman sequel also features Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman and Patrick Wilson. There’s been deliberation surrounding which Batman will appear in The Lost Kingdom, with Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton both linked. However, reports have indicated the film could cut Affleck’s cameo, which is a strong possibility considering Affleck will no longer play Batman following his now-confirmed appearance in June’s The Flash — although he’s been tipped to potentially direct a DCU film by Gunn. Regardless, Jason Momoa’s future as Aquaman is rather murky.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in theaters on Dec. 25.
Source: Twitter
