Between global pandemics and labor strikes, the world of theatrical film exhibition has been an absolute roller coaster. Significant release date delays for tentpole projects were not that commonplace before, but now they are the rule, not the exception. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's release date is almost here, more than a year after it was originally planned, and Jason Momoa calls seeing actual advertisements for it “so surreal.”
Jason Momoa has seen his face on billboards and in movie trailers. And yet, he posted a video of a look at Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom promotions in New York City to his Instagram and called seeing it all “surreal” likely because the long process of making the movie, and getting it out in theaters, is so close to finally being over. The rest of the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom cast probably feels the same way.
The first Aquaman came out five years ago, and despite the fact that the sequel was given the green light only weeks after the first Aquaman became a billion-dollar box office champ, we knew it was going to be a while before we saw the next film. That was a bit of a surprise given that, at least in the before times, it was common to see franchise movies every two years like clockwork.
But then a little global pandemic happened, and things went pear-shaped. Theaters were closing, causing delays in releasing films that were done, and productions of movies that were filming shutdown. Productions that hadn’t started were put off. Everything got shifted down the calendar. Even as things began to get back up and running, everything was happening slowly, and the release calendar was perpetually shifting.
As a result, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, originally planned for a December 2022 release, got pushed to early 2023, then to December 2023. It's honestly surprising it didn't end up on the 2024 movie release schedule. Everything else shifted around it. At one point The Flash was going to come out after the Aquaman sequel, but was ultimately released before it.
And all the time that the new Aquaman movie was not coming out, it became, by association, one of the most talked about movies in the media. The topic of Amber Heard’s role in the sequel became a topic during her defamation lawsuit against Johnny Depp, so we heard a lot about the movie, which continually kept it at the front of minds, making the wait for it likely seem even longer.
And then there’s the fact that the decision to reboot the DCU came somewhere in the middle of all this. At this point, it’s unclear what Aquaman’s future is on the big screen, none of the upcoming DCU movies we know of will include him, though indications are that Jason Momoa will be playing a role in the new DCU.
So it’s understandable why Jason Momoa would be more surprised than usual to see his face in New York City. All indications are that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been done and just waiting for its eventual release. A lot of time, and just a lot has happened in the last five years. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom finally arrives on December 20.
