Theater Owners Reportedly Worried That Christmas Box Office Depends on Aquaman 2

Theater owners are reportedly worried that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is carrying the Christmas box office on its shoulders. A new report from Variety sees midwestern chain Phoenix Theaters echoing some other anxieties from around the country. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom might be the best chance at a winter blockbuster and that's nowhere near a sure thing. The last couple of years have brought a reliable big-earner into movie houses across the United States and beyond. Last year, it was Avatar: The Way of Water. Before that Spider-Man: No Way Home swung into view to save the movies. 2020 obviously didn't have that kind of impactful release because most theaters were either closed or at reduced capacity. However, in 2019, (a different world!) there was Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to pick up the slack.

Now, in a year with so many big-budget misfires from all around. Napoleon was being celebrated for coming in second this week despite having a steep path back to profitability. To say nothing of other well-documented results from around the studios for most of 2023, it's been a weird year for movies. Barbie, Oppenheimer, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and The Super Marios Bros. Movie aside, there hasn't been a ton to write home about.

 Phoenix Theatres owner Cory Jacobson told the outlet, "You can't look at the release schedule between now and the end of the year and find one movie that stands out like 'Avatar' as the big film." 

"With one big film, you must stock a lot of show times to meet demands. If it doesn't work out, you end up with a lot of empty show times," added  Phoenix Theatres VP Jordan Hohman. "With a more diverse slate of films, we can spread our bets."

Can Aquaman 2 Deliver In Theaters?

One prevailing criticism that pops up online frequently is that comic book superhero movies have too much "homework" to keep up with them. (Meanwhile people gladly show up for multiple seasons of their favorite shows on streamers and delight in all the shipping, fan casting, and speculation that all comes with.) For Aquaman, the viewer that might be intimidated is in luck! If you're showing up to see Jason Momoa have a good time, that's what you're going to get. ComicBook.com spoke to director James Wan about the barrier to entry earlier this year.

"Well, Aquaman – even the first film – has always been a very standalone film," Wan explained. "That was always our approach: that it kind of lives in its own world, and that's kind of how we've approached The Lost Kingdom as well. You know, people love Jason Momoa; people love him playing this role; and people love the action visuals of this space and this world." 

He continued, "And that's what we're doing: we're taking it to the next level and we are still expanding – and just any fans of Aquaman the character, that love Black Manta, this is the next level and I'm very excited to finally put out there to show them what we've been working on all these years."

What Is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom About?

"In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom , which arrives in theaters on December 25th, when an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will see the return of Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Amber Heard as Mera , Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta , and Randall Park as Stephen Shin."

"Jani Zhao will play new character Stingray, Indya Moore will play Karshon, and Vincent Regan will play Atlan, who was previously portrayed by Graham McTavish in Aquaman . Pilou Asbaek has also joined the cast in a mystery role. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is directed by James Wan , with a script from David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick . Producers include Wan and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran."

Do you think Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom can break the trend? Let us know down in the comments!