'Aquaman' Now Projected For $120 Million Christmas Holiday Box Office Opening

Aquaman has been performing very well at box offices abroad and now, updated tracking has shown the potential for a massive opening weekend for the film. According to Deadline, the James Wan-direct flick is now tracking for a whopping $120+ million opening over the five-day holiday weekend.

As of this writing, the latest Warner Brothers film is expected to have a 3-day total hovering around $70 million, about $24 million shy of the money made by DC Extended Universe predecessor Justice League. Should the feature end up making north of $120 million in its five-day opening blitz, making anywhere from $10-$15 million more than the team-up flick did in the same time frame.

The movie has been a box office darling overseas, more than likely crossing the $300 million mark worldwide before it's Thursday domestic debut. Aquaman currently has a 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a generally positive response from critics.

A large chunk of the movie's financial success seems to be as a result of the property's stunning visual effects. With most critics praising the film's look and feel, that back's up Wan's thoughts of wanting the movie to stand out on its own. Previously speaking with ComicBook.com, the director mentioned that although Aquaman is in the DC Extended Universe, he wanted it to feel like its own flick.

"It was very important for me early on to be allowed to make my own film and to have my own voice be in there," Wan said. "After Furious 7 and Conjuring 2, I didn't want to be a director for hire. After Furious 7, that's kind of who I was to some degree, but after that, I don't want to be that guy again. So, it was very important for me to be able to bring my own stamp, my own visual aesthetic, create the characters. Even though Jason has somewhat been established Justice League, I wanted to bring his character into this, basically, fresh in a lot of ways.

Aquaman is directed by James Wan and stars Jason Momoa (Arthur/Aquaman), Amber Heard (Mera), Nicole Kidman (Queen Atlanna), Patrick Wilson (Orm/Ocean Master), Willem Dafoe (Nuidis Vulko), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), Ludi Lin (Murk), Dolph Lundgren (King Nereus), Djimon Hounsou (The Fisherman King), Natalia Safran (Fisherman Queen), and Michael Beach (Jesse Kane). David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall wrote the screenplay based off a story from Wan and Geoff Johns.

Aquaman sails into theaters December 21. Other DC films on the slate for Warner Brothers include Shazam on April 5, 2019, Joker on October 10, 2019, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, and Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020.

Are you excited for Aquaman to debut stateside this weekend? Are you planning on going? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!