The first Aquaman movie from 2018 earned Warner Bros over a billion dollars at the box office. However, that doesn’t seem to be enough reason for the studio to give the upcoming sequel its due regard. With just three months left until its release date, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom does not seem to enjoy public hype or studio attention. In fact, the newly revealed teaser appears to be the first step towards promoting the movie. Let’s take a look at all the factors behind Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom’s limited marketing and check out the first teaser.Â
Reasons for Aquaman 2’s limited marketing
Let’s start with the most obvious factor in hand. When James Gunn took over DC Studios, it meant the end of the road for the existing Justice League members. It was reported that Jason Momoa’s last appearance as Aquaman would be in his standalone sequel.
Aquaman and the Lost Marketing https://t.co/SHDYJeUzjj
— The Moonlight Warrior đŸŒ™ (@BlackMajikMan90) September 10, 2023
The ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes against the AMPTP have taken a major toll on the production and marketing of all upcoming movies. This means that actors from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom cannot appear in promotional events until the strike is over.Â
Furthermore, it has not been the best of times for the DCEU at the box office. Their last two releases, The Flash and Blue Beetle, did not perform well despite high production and marketing budgets. So, they might exercise some caution when it comes to Aquaman 2.
The Aquaman 2 budget is $205M, meaning it needs to make roughly $512.5M to break even.
Unless DC learns it’s lesson from The Flash, cuts it’s losses, and abandons all marketing.
What do you think @ThatUmbrella? Has Amber ruined any chance this movie had? pic.twitter.com/63fcHGklJ8
— The Screen Rebel (Nerd News) (@TheScreenRebel) September 6, 2023
In fact, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was rumored to have its release date pushed to 2024. However, it seems like Warner Bros Pictures wants to get it over with as soon as possible. Controversial actress Amber Heard’s presence in the film could also be another factor.
First Teaser of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
While the full trailer is all set to arrive on September 14, DC and WB teased a glimpse of what will come in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. While the marketing efforts might seem dull, the movie sure has fans excited for Jason Momoa’s return as Arthur Curry.
The Aquaman sequel’s returning cast members include Yahya Abdul-Mahteen II as Black Manta, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, and Nicole Kidman. In the teaser, we get a variety of different sea creatures and even a mechanical tentacled giant.Â
Aquaman seems to be riding… Storm! pic.twitter.com/iJK1j8Afnu
— Home of DCU (@homeofdcu) September 11, 2023
Other key moments from the brief teaser include Aquaman rushing to his burning family home and Black Manta vowing to destroy everything he holds dear.
More details about the film
According to the official synopsis from Warner Bros. Pictures, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be released in theaters on December 20, 2023. This clearly means that they are hoping for the Hollywood strikes to end by then so that they can go ahead with the marketing.
Jason Momoa’s future as Aquaman is also in question. Initially, he was rumored to be recast as another hero to fit into James Gunn’s reboot of DC. The actor himself said that he was excited to see what the new studio heads had in store and that he will always be Aquaman.
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