‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’: Teaser, release date, and all the scoop you need to know

Cinema giant, Warner Bros just dropped a teaser of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The 30-seconder promises the release of the film’s trailer on Thursday, September 15—finally! might we add—and offers a quick glimpse into the underwater world of Arthur Curry, Black Manta, Queen Atlanna, and Orm. The teaser came as a relief to DC fans, many of whom took to social media to express their state of panic with no trailer announcement just three months before the Jason Wan-directed film's release. This, owing to the on-going Writers Guild of America strike, Amber Heard’s court case, and consequent failures at the box office for Warner Bros’ previous releases. Read on to know more about the teaser, the reactions it garnered, and the many concerns it faced. 

The teaser 

The teaser opens with cinematic visuals of Arthur Curry riding a gigantic sea horse as he fights Black Manta, back as the sequel’s villain with an amped up suit and weapon, and played by Yahya Abdul Mateen II. The teaser also reveals shots of other cast members such as Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanta and Patrick Wilson as Orm. While the others including Amber Heard as Mera, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry were not seen in the teaser, it has been confirmed that they are part of the sequel. The trailer looks visually spectacular with its portrayal of futuristic underwater vessels such as an octopus-esque tanker, the giant sea horse, and more. 

The teaser has garnered the attention of DC fans across the world, who seem to be hooked to it not only because it appears to be promising but also because it is a glimmer of hope after a particularly bad run for the DCU. One fan wrote, “I hope this movie goes out with a bang because we need it.” Another wrote, “The teaser was pretty good and has got me hooked…can’t wait for the trailer.” Here’s what to know if you’re wondering why so much rests on the success of this film.

Concerns and controversies 

The first film of the series, Aquaman, also directed by James Wan, was a major success at the box office earning a revenue of up to $1 billion. A sequel to the original instalment, therefore, seemed inevitable at the time and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom went into production in the latter half of 2021 in the UK. However, this was one of the last films that went on floor before James Gunn and Peter Safran became co-CEOs of DC Comic Studios, and began rebranding different parts of the DC Universe, leaving the characters of the Jason Mamoa-led franchise out of it. According to reports, the characters will continue to be involved in the DC universe with different roles. Mamoa even told Total Film, "Peter's my producer, and a dear friend," the actor said "I absolutely think Aquaman will be involved in the DCU. It's on, bro—there's no one bigger than Aquaman!” 

Fans are also looking forward to a much-needed success of the film after a series of failures of the DC Comic Studios including Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Blue Beetle, Flash and Black Adam which performed poorly at the box office and received little appreciation. 

To add to this, Amber Heard’s controversies surrounding her personal life and a public trial along with Hollywood’s on-going strike has resulted in a severe lack of official announcement by Warner Bros and little to no marketing or advertising of the film. Several reports suggest that the production house has already deemed the sequel a failure and is hesitant to spend money on promoting it. With the teaser receiving hopeful and positive reactions, we think the film could definitely yield a profit, leaving all those involved with a sigh of relief. 

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to release on December 20, 2023.