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After a streak of failures with bad box office numbers and subpar critical acclaim, Aquaman 2 was meant to set things straight for the DCEU. The DCEU (DC Extended Universe) is the ongoing DC universe that has seen a lot of turbulence in the past few years. Like its prequel, the Jason Momoa starrer showed a lot of promise with its initial trailers and plot synopsis.
However, now it seems that the upcoming Aquaman film might be another DC film on its way to a box-office failure, with it tracking to open between $32M - $42M. What makes things worse for Aquaman 2 is the fact that the film is tracking an overall $105M - $168M domestically, which puts it way behind Aquaman. The latter was one of the most successful films in the history of the DC universe.
This comes as a particularly hard-hitting figure as the film is made around a budget of $205 million, which means that it will pick up less than half of its budget in all likelihood. Additionally, the cast and crew also spent a huge amount of time reshooting major sequences, dealing with the film significantly, and adding to the budget.
Fans react as Aquaman 2's domestic box office prediction comes to light
Initially, fans expected a lot from the sequel of the highly acclaimed James Wan film, but things started to take a turn for the worse soon after. The initial excitement for Aquaman 2 was quickly weighed down by James Wan's declaration that none of the films in the current DCEU will matter in the upcoming DCU. He noted that the universe will be reset and everything will start from scratch.
The involvement of Amber Heard in the project has also drawn criticism from many after her highly publicized legal battle with Johnny Depp. This has resulted in fan reactions that seem to have seen most of it coming while others mourned the downfall of such a promising sequel.
To understand the gravity of the collapsing box office situation, it is important to know that Aquaman (2018) opened at $72M and grossed $1.152B. These are figures that seem very far from what the sequel is currently tracking. The pre-sales of the movie are lagging behind even Black Adam, which was doing 62% better than Aquaman 2 at the moment.
This could be the last film from the DC Extended Universe, which once saw the surge of some extremely iconic films like Man Of Steel and Wonder Woman.
Aquaman 2 or Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a direct sequel to Aquaman (2018), and the 15th and final installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by James Wan, the film will see most of the original stars like Jason Momoa and Amber Heard return to their respective roles.
The synopsis for the film reads:
"After failing to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta wields the power of the mythic Black Trident to unleash an ancient and malevolent force. Hoping to end his reign of terror, Aquaman forges an unlikely alliance with his brother, Orm, the former king of Atlantis. Setting aside their differences, they join forces to protect their kingdom and save the world from irreversible destruction."
It is set to premiere theatrically on December 22, 2023.
