Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Director James Wan Used New Tech on Underwater Scenes

The world is buzzing about the first footage from James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, but there is another film that’s trying to push the boundaries of how movie audiences experience the underwater realm: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Aquaman 2 was delayed from 2022 to 2023, but from the sound of things there may be a very legitimate reason for it: James Wan is breaking new technological ground to create the visuals of the film. 

James Wan and select members of the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom crew made an appearance at CinemaCon 2022 (where ComicBook.com was in attendance). During the panel, Wan discussed the technological challenge of making Aquaman 2:

The visual [effects] are a big part of these kinds of films,” Wan explained to the crowd. “I know the first movie really put the actors through a lot of physical pain, hanging on wires and on what we call tuning forks, and it was not the most comfortable of apparatus to be strapped into. 

With this film, we were able to embrace new technology that we have where we literally captured and — it’s not motion control, it’s not face capturing, it’s literally putting like 100 cameras on the action to capture the performances, and then taking what they do and then applying that to 3D versions of themselves, but their performance drives this 3D character. It is [more versatile], and it’s less painful for the actors, which makes it easier for me as well because they’re not screaming and yelling at me (laughs).”

As stated, both Avatar 2 and Aquaman 2 are looking to bring groundbreaking underwater visual effects to audiences all across the world. With the delays at DC/WB, Avatar 2 will get the chance to make its mark first, releasing in theaters just before Christmas. James Cameron is defined by his signature as a pioneering filmmaker; the bar he sets with Avatar 2 could (fairly or not) have heavy impact on how the look of Aquaman 2 is received. 

Here’s a description of the footage Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom footage that was screened at CinemaCon: 

“Arthur in his orange armor stands atop a stormy sea. Black Manta has a crew on a giant submarine. He’s still human but wields an ancient magical power. Arthur and Orm have to team up. We see them walking through a forest. The teaser ends with Orm in front of an octopus-like mecha robot.”

READ: New Aquaman 2 Details Revealed

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters on March 17, 2023.