Jason Momoa Says Aquaman and the Last Kingdom Strayed From His Original Treatment

Jason Momoa said in a recent magazine interview that the treatment he sold Warner Bros. was not followed when it came time to write the full screenplay for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, in spite of the fact that Warner bought the treatment from him. The original treatment, apparently, dealt more with environmental themes, with Momoa saying that a lot of the ideas came out of conversations he has had at the United Nations about the damage to the environment that made the Atlanteans so angry in the first installment of the franchise. The star seems frustrated, but maintains his enthusiasm about the long-delayed sequel, which will be the last of a number of DC releases hitting theaters this year.

According to Men’s Health, Momoa and his writing partner turned in a 50-page treatment for the sequel, which Warner Bros. bought but apparently mostly dismissed. There’s no word on how much of the treatment was used, and whether Momoa and his partner will still get a credit on the film’s screenplay.

“That’s the reason why I love directing and creating,” Momoa told the magazine. “I don’t wanna just go like, ‘I’m acting. I’ll be in my trailer.’ I love being able to burn for what I believe in. I’ve seen some of the most shocking acting performances firsthand and watched them edited, and they were amazing. I wish I could tell you who it was. I’m like, ‘What the fuck?’ I watched this guy who had to be fucking propped up. They read the lines to him. But this motherfucker killed it when the edit came in and was applauded for it. At that point, I was like, ‘Wow, this shit is made in the edit.’”

He also said that he’s very excited about the future at DC, promising that there’s “a lot of badass shit coming up.”

Here’s Warner Bros.’ official synopsis for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom:

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,” the description reads. In addition to Momoa, the movie will also feature the return of Patrick Wilson (King Orm/Ocean Master), Amber Heard (Mera), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (David Kane/Black Manta). Randall Park (Dr. Stephen Shin), and Temuera Morrison (Tom Curry). Newcomers to the cast include Jani Zhao (Sentimentos), Indya Moore (Pose), and Vincent Regan (300).

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is due to hit theaters on December 20.

h/t Variety