Jeff Nichols Possibly Revealed As Aquaman Director

The hits just keep on coming from the Sony e-mail leaks, as Amy Pascal's personal messages reportedly name Mud filmmaker Jeff Nichols as the director of Aquaman.

This one is a bit less of a smoking gun than some of the previous revelations to come out of the Sony e-mails because, unlike many of the stories, the site reporting it (The Daily Beast, linked above) doesn't actually quote from the e-mail or give specific details besides the fact that it's in there somewhere.

The understated visual style of Nichols may seem like an odd fit for a fantasy story, but the film he's currently working on, Midnight Special, centers on a boy with super powers. That film will star Man of Steel's Michael Shannon, Spider-Man's Kirsten Dunst and Star Wars: The Force Awakens's Adam Driver.

The Aquaman movie is one that seems to have been in development for some time, with DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns saying as far back as 2012 that Warner Bros. was hoping to develop one.

Jason Momoa will star in the film, which is expected in theaters on July 27, 2018. Leonardo diCaprio is reportedly executive producing through his Appian Way banner.

It's likely the film will draw inspiration from Johns' critically-acclaimed 2012 relaunch of Aquaman. Dressing rooms labeled for Kahina, a member of the Aquaman-centric superhero team The Others, and The Others' longtime enemy the KGBeast have appeared on the set of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, although it's not clear whether they will really have a cameo or it's a misdirection.