Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom — Release Date, Cast, Plot, Trailer, And More

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"Aquaman" was released in December 2018 and, despite the hero being at the wrong end of many jokes over the decades, it went on to become a huge success. So much so that it still ranks as the highest-grossing DC movie in history. That is in no small part thanks to star Jason Momoa's likability and portrayal of Arthur Curry, as well as director James Wan's vision for bringing the character to life on screen. Naturally, we're getting a sequel in the form of the long-awaited "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."

The film has been in production for literally years at this point, but it's finally going to be with us in the not-too-distant future. We're here to give you all of the details you need to be ready when Momoa returns as Arthur Curry later this year. Here is what you need to know about "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."

"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is set to hit theaters on December 20, 2023. It will be exclusively released in theaters at first, as Warner Bros. Discovery is fully committed to theatrical releases at this point and is no longer prioritizing direct-to-streaming films. That means it won't be showing up on the Max streaming service for at least a couple of months. If it's a big hit, it will probably be even longer before it hits Max. 

Jason Momoa will return to lead the cast of "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" as Aquaman, aka Arthur Curry. The last time we saw him was in a brief post-credits scene attached to "The Flash," but this will be his most significant appearance since Zack Snyder's "Justice League." Amber Heard also returns as Mera (despite repeated calls from certain fans to have her replaced), and Nicole Kidman is back as Atlanna. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Black Manta), Patrik Wilson (Orm/Ocean Master), Dolph Lundgren (King Nereus), and Temuera Morrison (Tom Curry) also return to reprise their roles. Black Manta will be the main villain this time around, with Arthur and Orm forming an uneasy alliance. "Game of Thrones" star Pilou Asbaek has also been added in a mystery role.

Not in the cast, it seems, will be any version of Batman. Despite both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck shooting scenes as their respective versions of Bruce Wayne, both takes on those scenes have reportedly been dropped.

"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" will be the last movie in what we used to call the DC Extended Universe, aka the DCEU. It also commonly became known as the Snyderverse, given that it all started with Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" a decade ago. But DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran are getting ready to reboot the DC Universe in the coming years, truly kicking off with "Superman: Legacy" in 2025. In many ways, this movie will be the end of an era. So, what's it going to be about? A brief synopsis of the film reads as follows:

"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."

The first look at "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" arrived at DC FanDome way back in 2021, when the studio released a pretty impressive behind-the-scenes featurette that delivered some footage from the film. Even though most of it was not finished, it did give a great idea of the scope of the sequel, which looks to be action-packed and even more of a globetrotting spectacle than the first installment. 

A full trailer for "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" finally arrived in September of 2023. The two-and-a-half-minute preview is packed to the gills with clips of underwater action scenes and establishing all the ways that the vengeful return of Black Manta threatens to devastate Arthur Curry as he struggles to balance his reign as King of Atlantis with his life as a husband and a father.

James Wan is returning to direct "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" after having very successfully helmed the first movie. The filmmaker did take a little break from the DC Universe, returning to his horror roots with the truly crazy "Malignant." Warner Bros. managed to keep Wan aboard for the sequel though, and he's been steeped in Atlantis for several years now as several different regimes have come and gone at the studio since the first movie debuted. It's been a tumultuous process, filled with reshoots and retooling, but Wan has stayed the course the whole way through.

David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick ("Aquaman," "The Conjuring 2") returned to pen the screenplay for the follow-up. WB seemed interested in keeping much of the same crew intact for the sequel. Wan is producing alongside Rob Cowan, and DC Studios co-head Peter Safran, with Walter Hamada and Michal Clear on board as executive producers. Rupert Gregson-Williams ("Aquaman," "Wonder Woman") is set to compose the score.