'Aquaman' Passes 'Batman v Superman' at Domestic Box Office
Aquaman has surpassed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at the domestic box office.Aquaman's box [...]
Aquaman has surpassed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at the domestic box office.
Aquaman's box office total in North America now stands at $331.3 million. That beats Batman v Superman's domestic total of $330.3 million.
Aquaman already surpassed Batman v Superman worldwide. It also overtook The Dark Knight Rises' $1.085 billion to become DC Comics biggest movie ever with a running total of $1.13 billion.
The idea that an Aquaman movie would outperform the first big-screen meeting of Batman and Superman, two of DC's most iconic and profitable characters with proven cinematic track records, would have been unthinkable to many fans not that long ago. Aquaman director James Wan echoed that sentiment when he commented on Aquaman's rise to the top.
"For years Aquaman has been an orange-shirted punchline...No one is laughing anymore," Wan said. "And this weekend when the King of Atlantis surpasses the Dark Knight of Gotham City, orange will officially be the new black for Warner Bros. Crazy."
Wan thanked fans when Aquaman crossed the $1 billion mark.
"Firstly, massive LOVE and THANK YOU to the fans and audiences around the world," Wan said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). "I'll forever be indebted to Jason for turning Aquaman into one of the coolest, cinematic superheroes ever, and becoming the gold standard for this character for generations to come."
Aquaman is Wan's second $1 billion movie. His first was Furious 7 in 2015.
Star Jason Momoa thanked fans for making Aquaman the biggest film in the world.
"Mahalo everyone for making Aquaman the number one movie in the world," he wrote in an Instagram post. "I love you guys. I'm so proud of this movie and everyone that worked on it CHEEEEEHUUUUUUUU Aloha."
A sequel to Aquaman is already in development at Warner Bros. Wan is rumored to return to direct, but won't make a deal until he's seen a strong, "seaworthy" script.
Aquaman stars Momoa as Arthur Curry, the half-human prince of Atlantis. When his half-brother stokes the fires of war, Aquaman finds himself trapped between the two worlds he loves.
Wan directs the film after Momoa's debut as the character in 2017's Justice League. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall wrote the screenplay from a story by Geoff Johns, Wan, and Beall. In addition to Momoa, the film also stars Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Nicole Kidman.
What do you think of Aquaman passing Iron Man at the domestic box office? Let us know how you feel about it in the comments section!
Aquaman is now playing in theaters.
Upcoming DC Extended Universe movies include Shazam on April 5th, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, and Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020.