We’re just a few days away from witnessing the big release of Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom, aka Aquaman 2. While eyes are set on how it performs in the domestic market, the business in the overseas market is also being anticipated. Surprisingly, China isn’t showing the box office support as expected. Keep reading to know more!
Directed by James Wan, the Aquaman sequel is scheduled to release on 22nd December in major parts of the globe, but in China, the film is scheduled to arrive on 20th December. Despite all the negativity, Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom is among the highly-anticipated releases of 2023.
Glory of Aquaman in China
Back in 2018, Aquaman was released in China prior to its domestic debut and scored brilliantly there. Riding high on positive word-of-mouth, the film had a long run at the Chinese box office and went on to garner a lifetime of $291.80 million. Still today, it’s amongst the highest-grossing Hollywood films of all time.
With such a past, expectations are very high for Aquaman 2, but as of now, things are quite underwhelming as far as advance booking is concerned.
Aquaman 2’s status in China
As per the trade buzz, Aquaman 2 is not performing up to the mark in pre-sales and is lagging behind DC’s own The Flash. For the period till 25th December, the film has sold tickets worth almost $200K. However, there’s still hope that the film will pick up the pace as there are still 6 days to go.
Aquaman 2’s biggest controversy
The film has been in the making for a long and has faced several delays. Finally, it is all set to hit the big screens, but the journey till now has been a rollercoaster for the makers.
The biggest controversy that plagued Aquaman 2 was Amber Heard reprising her role as Mera. There had been mixed reactions about her part as she was involved in a legal battle with Johnny Depp. During the infamous battle, Johnny Depp lost some important Hollywood projects. So, supporters of Depp demanded the removal of Amber from Aquaman 2.
There have been rumors that Amber Heard‘s role has been chopped off after Depp’s victory in a defamation suit. Interestingly, she’s been missing from the promos. So, the reports of her removal sound believable.
Aquaman 2’s domestic projection
As per Deadline, the film is expected to earn $50-$60 million during the opening weekend in North America. This is quite compared to the first installment’s $67.87 million.
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
Stay tuned to Koimoi for more box office updates & stories.
