Warner Bros. is starting to feel pretty confident about Aquaman. Though the studio has been burned by critics and occasionally at the box office for previous DC movies, Aquaman is feeling much closer to Wonder Woman than Justice League. The studio reportedly feels good enough about the film’s prospects to have early conversations about a sequel.
In a new profile piece on Amber Heard (Mera in the film), The Hollywood Reporter mentions that Warner Bros. Pictures Group Chairman Toby Emmerich has initiated talks for a sequel. These discussions are preliminary, though, as no writer has been hired for an Aquaman sequel script.
Ordinarily, the planning of sequels for superhero franchises barely registers as news. It’s just what studios do. In the case of Aquaman, however, there has been some question as to just how aggressive Warner Bros. would be with sequel plans in the wake of Justice League‘s box office struggles last year.
Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman was set to survive on the strength of her solo film, but the future of all the other heroes on the team has been uncertain. Fortunately for Aquaman, the film had already completed production by the time Justice League hit theaters and it has made a great first impression in early screenings.
Critics have been strongly positive in their social media reactions to Aquaman. That positive buzz has helped lead to box office tracking that suggests the James Wan-directed film will be a major hit. Should the full reviews of the film reflect what’s been said on social media, Aquaman may very well exceed its tracking and enjoy a lucrative run through the holiday season.
Aquaman doesn’t hit theaters in the U.S. for a couple more weeks, but it debuts in China this weekend. Depending on how things go, Warner Bros. might need to start reaching out to writers on Monday.
SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter
