Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Sets Release Date in China

It looks like the Aquaman franchise may be swimming closer to another monstrous box office haul. Monday, it was revealed Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has secured a release in China, the world's second-biggest box office market—and one that helped propel the first film in the franchise to a massive $1.1 billion haul. In fact, the film will be released in China on December 20th, two days before it hits theaters stateside.

It's still a bit too early for tracking numbers or projections to come out for Lost Kingdom, but the sequel may have an uphill battle. The film technically wraps up the DCEU as it exists now, serving as the last film released by Warner Bros. before the studio switches into releasing projects through its new DC Studios banner.

James Wan is back in the director's chair for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, a film that he says will set up potential future pictures, despite the franchise not technically residing in the new DC Universe.

"What I can speak to that is the Jason Momoa story, definitely, as Aquaman definitely has more places to go, and yes," Wan said earlier this fall. "When we get to the end of this... The answer is yes. I don't know how to answer that without giving things away, because where we go at the end of this movie, it does tee up something bigger... Not bigger but it does tee up a direction for that story, and I don't want to speak to that just because it's the end of the movie."

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which arrives in theaters on December 22nd, 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.