The summer movie season is just around the corner, but over the past few years studios have been expanding blockbuster territory to encompass nearly 12 months out of the year. Indeed, one need only look to the February release ofBlack Panther, which is now officiallythe highest-grossing superhero movie in the U.S., to understand that “blockbuster season” is now very much a relative term.
One of the big “off-season” blockbusters on the docket that folks are eager to see isAquaman, Warner Bros. and DC’s follow-up film toJustice League. It doesn’t hit theaters until December 21st, just in time for Christmas, but that hasn’t stopped fans from demanding to see the first footage from the movie via a debut trailer. Some assumed it would be attached to Warner Bros.’ late-March blockbusterReady Player One, but the film’s directorJames Wanhas taken to Twitter to reveal that’s not the case. Fans will have to continue waiting for the firstAquamantrailer, and Wan explains why:
Itisa bit early to start seeing trailers for December releases, albeit we have already seen trailers for big December releases likeMary Poppins Returns,Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, andAlita: Battle Angel. But Wan understandably wants to get this right, and he knows he only has one chance to introduceAquamanto the world at large so he wants to make it count.
Indeed, this isn’t just any old superhero movie. Warner Bros.’Justice League, which hit theaters last November, was thelowest grossing DC Extended Universe moviethus far, and so the studio really needs to turn public perception around withAquaman. The goodwill fromWonder Womanstill lingers and there are promising projects likeShazam!on the horizon so all is not lost, but even beforeJustice Leaguewas a bust, anAquamanmovie was a bit of a tough sell.
Wan has weathered storms before, as the horror director behind films likeSawandThe Conjuringmade his blockbuster debut onFurious 7, only to have to rewrite nearly half the movie during production when starPaul Walkertragically died halfway through filming. That film turned out pretty great, all things considered, so many have been curious to see what Wan brings to the table withAquaman.
It sounds like we’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out, though perhaps Wan will have that trailer ready in time for the mid-April release of Warner Bros.’Rampage. Whatever the case, expect the film to have a major presence at Comic-Con this summer.
For a full list of DC movies currently in development,click here.
