AQUAMAN Director James Wan Breaks Down The First Trailer's Biggest Moments In Lengthy Interview

We've already has a commentary from James Wan for the first Aquaman trailer but the filmmaker has now broken a number of key moments down in a lengthy Q&A which you guys can check out after the jump...

By JoshWilding - Jul 25, 2018 05:07 AM EST

Filed Under: Aquaman

Over the weekend, Warner Bros. released the epic first trailer for Aquaman and it definitely impressed. With the movie just months away from hitting theaters, the studio had plenty of great footage to show off from the James Wan helmed release and now the filmmaker has broken down some key moments to shed some light both on those and what we should expect from the upcoming DC Comics movie.

From Arthur Curry's youth to those amazing looking scenes set in Atlantis, Wan has a lot to say about the movie and it definitely sounds like it will take us to some unexpected new depths in the DCEU.

So, to check out all these big new reveals from the Aquaman trailer, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button below for an in-depth breakdown which features plenty of big teases about where the movie will take us and Arthur as Warner Bros. looks to put the DCEU on the right path.

Flashbacks To Arthur Curry's Youth

"I think I need to find a very human way into this story, and Jason Momoa is not necessarily your everyday man, right? You don't look at this guy and go, "Oh, that's me." Right? You look at that guy, and you go, "That's who I want to be."

"So I know I needed to start the movie off with the love story between his mom and dad. I know a lot of fans are excited for the love story between Arthur and Mera, but for me, the movie is as much, if not more, the love story between Tom Curry and Queen Atlanna. How Queen Atlanna, from a completely different kingdom, far more civilized, so to speak, than we are, could fall in love with a simple human being on the surface. A surface dweller.

"It really shows the power of love. How love is blind to any of that, and how through their love, Arthur is born. I thought that is a very important emotional backbone to have because that emotional backbone basically drives Arthur's entire emotional arc through the film. Anyways, because of that, that's one of the things that we really want to get across in the trailer. Just the humanity of it."

Why Atlanna Washes Up On Shore

"You want to play to the romantic theme of the sailor who comes across the mermaid, and then falls in love with the mermaid, that kind of stuff. That's what this movie is. It has that romantic, nautical motif."

Black Manta's Origin Story Begins On The Submarine

"That’s our intro into Black Manta before he's Black Manta. It's an Aquaman origin story, but it's also a Black Manta origin story as well. That's one thing I've wanted to make clear, because everyone seems to think that Black Manta is the main villain in this. He's not. He's not. It's his origin, so it's how he ultimately becomes Black Manta, right? Arthur's real antagonist in this movie is his half-brother, King Orm."

The Battle To Be King

"It's basically the combat of the kings. It's an ancient ritual. It's a practice. It's like, "Okay, if you think you have the right to be the king," which Arthur has the right to be the king because he is the first born. Orm wants him to prove it, basically. We do have a scene in it that is in the trailer where basically you see the two of them dress up in gladiatorial armor, ancient armor that they get to duke it out in a colosseum, an ancient colosseum built into the cone of a volcano.

"I wanted that look because of the color palette. I love the contrast of hot lava from down there, but then the blue, cool light of Atlantis from above."

Arthur Curry's Training

"There was a part of me that wanted to have a Miyagi/Daniel-san moment in the movie where he's training him on the beach, basically. The only thing he's not doing is the crane kick. For me, anyway, what makes origin stories and origin superhero stories really fun is just watching the training sequences. Watching how they become who they are, and that is a sequence in the movie where his mentor, played by Willem Dafoe, Vulko, trains the boy. How to potentially use the trident.

"When Willem and I spoke very early on, we always saw him as an old school samurai warrior, like an Obi-Wan Kenobi training Luke Skywalker. That was the influence, and Willem is such a big fan of Toshiro Mifune. He's modeling himself after Toshiro Mifune in all the classic Kurosawa films, even down to the way Willem looks in the movie. His hair is pulled back into a bun like a samurai warrior, and his sword's behind his back."

Atlantis

"Early on when I was designing the story, and the script, I reached out to DC. I reached out to Zack Snyder as well. I said, "Could you guys do me a big favor? Please don't go to Atlantis. I really wanted my character to go to Atlantis for the first time." It was such a big part of the story that I was writing that if they had him go to Atlantis in Justice League, it would unravel my story that I wanted to tell. Of course, Zack was super cool. He was like, "Okay, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't bone you that way." So in the movie, that first shot is his first shot. We come to the gate of Atlantis, and that is the first shot we see once we come through the gate of Atlantis."

Inspiration For The Undersea Nation

"We did so much research on underwater plants and marine life, and when you're so deep down, I realized that the sun doesn't penetrate. The sun only penetrates the surface level up to a certain depth, and after that it gets really dark. Atlantis is so deep down into the earth's floor, and that's how they have managed to stay hidden all these years. Their whole thing is just not wanting to be seen by the surface world. They have their own technology, so bioluminescence plays a big part in this world. They have their own light source down there.

"I want it to be magical. I want the different kingdoms that we go to visit, and Atlantis being the main one, to be like nothing you've ever seen before. To be very unique and magical. We've pulled so much of our influences from the ocean, from the sea and the sea life. One of the things I had to think about is, architecturally, how do they build their world down there? They don't use wood. They don't use steel, right? So then we started thinking that maybe your structure is organic, like giant jellyfish, and their structure could be coral. It's all grown. A modern Atlantis, at least, is all grown. Then that informs visually what they look like."

That Amazing Split-Screen Shot

"That's when they go to the Trench kingdom, yes. I have a certain sort of visual signature throughout the movie that I just love. Technology allows me to basically create a split-screen image above the surface, and below the surface of the water, which you can never really shoot. It allows me to create really graphic images."

The Heroes Are Going On A "Journey"

"It's not unlike what Indy had to do to find the Ark of the Covenant. Our hero has to go on this journey ... Arthur has to go on this journey with Mera to find an ancient relic. They have to basically follow the breadcrumbs, maps and all that, and it takes them through different kingdoms. The idea here is, he gets to learn the different worlds, and it helps shape who he is supposed to be. He needs to understand that to become king of Atlantis, he has to build bridges, not walls."

The Relationship Between Aquaman And Mera

"Romancing the Stone is the one that was my very early aspiration, yeah. Very Kathleen Turner meets the roguish charm of Michael Douglas, yeah. I think it works nicely because Amber's character is supposed to be very prim and proper. She's of royal upbringing, and she is not a fan of the surface world. So she thumbs her nose down at everything in the surface world. For Arthur, he's Jason Momoa, so he's larger than life. He's big and all that. So I think their own personal dynamics are really what make for a fun dynamic."

War In Atlantis

"The sharks, the Atlantean soldiers, are the white ones. I don't think we have that here. The white Atlantean soldiers are in the white armor suit, and they ride armored sharks. That's one side. The sea dragons belong to the kingdom of Xebel, the Xebellians, and that's the kingdom ruled by Dolph Lungdren. He's the king of that kingdom, and Mera is the daughter of Dolph Lungdren."

"That’s where we get to meet one of the last kingdoms… without giving too much away. I wanted to make a superhero movie that wasn't a superhero movie. It doesn't follow the norm and structure of your normal superhero movie. It's not about a guy who acquires some powers, and he's learning to make his suit. He's learning to fight some petty crime on the street and stuff like that. It's not that version. I modeled the movie more after classic action-adventure sort of fantasy films. It's no different to The Dark Crystal or Lord of the Rings. It's more in that spirit, yeah."

Impressive Mera Cosplay Goes Viral Following Amber Heard's Reduced Role In AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM

Recommended For You:

AQUAMAN: Newly Surfaced Concept Art Reveals Scrapped JUSTICE LEAGUE Cameo In 2018 Blockbuster

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

74 Comments

1 2

CaptainElrond - 7/25/2018, 5:38 AM

GeneralZod - 7/25/2018, 5:44 AM

@AngryCipher -

CaptainElrond - 7/25/2018, 5:47 AM

@GeneralZod - Poor depp. Red heads am i right?

Vish617 - 7/25/2018, 5:39 AM

Really looking forward to this now. Wasn’t expecting too much prior to them releasing details over the past month and then that trailer.

CaptainElrond - 7/25/2018, 5:40 AM

He seems like a nice guy, but i don't like jason momoas aquaman. Which is a shame, because i like he has big roles.

GeneralZod - 7/25/2018, 5:40 AM

Have you noticed how the incredibly fake-looking CGI sharks look a lot like

CaptainElrond - 7/25/2018, 6:00 AM

@GeneralZod -

Roodi - 7/25/2018, 5:44 AM

Already explaining the film. Snyder lives on.

SuperCat - 7/25/2018, 5:59 AM

RolandD - 7/25/2018, 10:41 AM

@SuperCat - Always bring it it SuperCat!

SuperCat - 7/25/2018, 10:49 AM

@RolandD - Thanks :D

GhostDog - 7/25/2018, 6:09 AM

Manta over everything

CaptainElrond - 7/25/2018, 6:12 AM

@BlackBeltJones - He looks badass!! but i hope they show more of orm, riding a mososaur into battle.

Pantherpool - 7/25/2018, 6:13 AM

Kumkani - 7/25/2018, 6:18 AM

@Pantherpool - I hope this is their "Wakanda Forever"

LordHarryLatts - 7/25/2018, 6:23 AM

The fact that DC may finally build an excellent, cohesive and successful movie universe...with Aquaman as the foundation...
As surprising as it is awesome. Really rooting for Wan and Momoa.

SisterSunday52 - 7/25/2018, 12:51 PM

@LordHarryLatts - They had an excellent, cohesive, moderately successful film universe with Superman's journey, and how it influenced the world, as its foundation. Unfortunately, the studio tried to "fix" it before it was complete. Hopefully the DC Films Cinematic Universe has more luck going forward.

Kumkani - 7/25/2018, 6:24 AM

I'm really liking everything I'm hearing about this movie from Wan and other interviews. Visually he's nailed everything I wanted to see, so it's the interviews and statements that would be determining for me if this movie is good or not before I actually see it. Some things do sound a little familiar and "been there, done that" but it is sounding good still. I'm really interested in the split screen stuff he talked about. That shot we got in the trailer was gorgeous.

Speaking of, someone suggested that it's possible Arthur may use the Trench in the final battle as his army. Mera said something along the lines of Arthur being different from the rest of the other Atlanteans is what makes him special, and who else could relate to the Trench like another outcast and reject?

1 2

Related Headlines

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

AQUAMAN & THE LOST KINGDOM Concept Art Spotlights Alternate Mera Costume Designs

MarkCassidy

Mar 11, 2024 10:03 AM

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

When Will AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Arrive On Max? Streaming Premiere Date Officially Revealed

JoshWilding

Feb 20, 2024 10:02 AM

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Still Making A Splash At The Box Office And May Even Turn A Meagre Profit

JoshWilding

Feb 20, 2024 06:02 AM

Related Headlines

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

AQUAMAN & THE LOST KINGDOM Concept Art Spotlights Alternate Mera Costume Designs

MarkCassidy

Mar 11, 2024 10:03 AM

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

When Will AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Arrive On Max? Streaming Premiere Date Officially Revealed

JoshWilding

Feb 20, 2024 10:02 AM

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Still Making A Splash At The Box Office And May Even Turn A Meagre Profit

JoshWilding

Feb 20, 2024 06:02 AM

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Is The First DCEU Movie Since AQUAMAN To Pass $400 Million Worldwide

JoshWilding

Jan 28, 2024 12:01 PM

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Is Now Available On Digital - First 10 Minutes Released Online

MarkCassidy

Jan 24, 2024 10:01 AM

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Blade

RUMOR: Wesley Snipes' Return As BLADE Could Be Happening Much Sooner Than Expected - Possible SPOILERS

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Marvel Comics

BLOOD HUNT #1 Kicks Off Marvel's Latest Event With A Twist That Turns The Series On Its Head - SPOILERS

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Latest Headlines

Deadpool & Wolverine

Josh Brolin On Cable's DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Absence: "Marvel Is A Complex Labyrinth"

MarkCassidy

1 hour ago

Blade

RUMOR: Wesley Snipes' Return As BLADE Could Be Happening Much Sooner Than Expected - Possible SPOILERS

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Marvel Comics

BLOOD HUNT #1 Kicks Off Marvel's Latest Event With A Twist That Turns The Series On Its Head - SPOILERS

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Superman

MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN Season 2 Trailer Introduces Supergirl And Lex Luthor

MarkCassidy

4 hours ago

Thor

THOR Star Chris Hemsworth Reveals Whether He And Brother Liam Were Competing For God Of Thunder Role

JoshWilding

4 hours ago

Spider-Man 2

SPIDER-MAN 2 Star Alfred Molina Reflects On Being Cast As Doctor Octopus And His NO WAY HOME Return

JoshWilding

4 hours ago

Hot Headlines

181 comments

DOCTOR WHO Star Ncuti Gatwa Responds To Racist/Homophobic Backlash: "Turn Off The TV. Go And Touch Grass"

JoshWilding

1 day ago EST

125 comments

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Promo Art Finally Unveils Harrison Ford's Red Hulk

MarkCassidy

18 hours ago EST

115 comments

Chris Hemsworth Says "I Became A Parody Of Myself" In Taika Waititi's THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

JoshWilding

1 day ago EST

90 comments

X-MEN: Could MUFASA Director Barry Jenkins Be A Contender To Helm MCU Reboot?

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

89 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

X-MEN '97's Latest Episode Features An Intriguing Link To The MCU's Wider Multiverse Saga - SPOILERS

More Cartoons & Animated ►

Xbox Games Showcase Confirmed For June 9 Followed By Possible First Look At CALL OF DUTY

More Anime & Manga ►

TERRIFIER 3: Art The Clown Is Up To His Old Tricks In First Official Promo Still

More Horror ►

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

More Action Movies & TV ►

AEW President Tony Khan Responds To Recent Criticisms From WWE Hall Of Famers Goldberg And Kevin Nash

More Pro Wrestling ►

THE ACOLYTE Footage Leaks Online Ahead Of Its Debut With STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE This Weekend

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

AQUAMAN Director James Wan Breaks Down The First Trailer's Biggest Moments In Lengthy Interview

We've already has a commentary from James Wan for the first Aquaman trailer but the filmmaker has now broken a number of key moments down in a lengthy Q&A which you guys can check out after the jump...

Flashbacks To Arthur Curry's Youth

Why Atlanna Washes Up On Shore

Black Manta's Origin Story Begins On The Submarine

The Battle To Be King

Arthur Curry's Training

Atlantis

Inspiration For The Undersea Nation

That Amazing Split-Screen Shot

The Heroes Are Going On A "Journey"

The Relationship Between Aquaman And Mera

War In Atlantis

Impressive Mera Cosplay Goes Viral Following Amber Heard's Reduced Role In AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM

AQUAMAN: Newly Surfaced Concept Art Reveals Scrapped JUSTICE LEAGUE Cameo In 2018 Blockbuster

AQUAMAN & THE LOST KINGDOM Concept Art Spotlights Alternate Mera Costume Designs

When Will AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Arrive On Max? Streaming Premiere Date Officially Revealed

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Still Making A Splash At The Box Office And May Even Turn A Meagre Profit

AQUAMAN & THE LOST KINGDOM Concept Art Spotlights Alternate Mera Costume Designs

When Will AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Arrive On Max? Streaming Premiere Date Officially Revealed

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Still Making A Splash At The Box Office And May Even Turn A Meagre Profit

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Is The First DCEU Movie Since AQUAMAN To Pass $400 Million Worldwide

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Is Now Available On Digital - First 10 Minutes Released Online

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM Is Approaching $400 Million At The Worldwide Box Office

Popular Headlines

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Promo Art Finally Unveils Harrison Ford's Red Hulk

BLACK ADAM Star Dwayne Johnson DID Make Moves To Take Over DCEU; New Report Claims He Pees In Bottles On Set

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Hi-Res Promo Art Reveals New Look At Logan's Suit And Wade Wilson's Weird Variants

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Promo Art Reveals Full Look At Sam Wilson's Suit As Toys Highlight Red Hulk

AVENGERS 5 Rumor Claims To Reveal FIVE Characters Who Will Be Key To The Movie

Josh Brolin On Cable's DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Absence: "Marvel Is A Complex Labyrinth"

RUMOR: Wesley Snipes' Return As BLADE Could Be Happening Much Sooner Than Expected - Possible SPOILERS

BLOOD HUNT #1 Kicks Off Marvel's Latest Event With A Twist That Turns The Series On Its Head - SPOILERS

Josh Brolin On Cable's DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Absence: "Marvel Is A Complex Labyrinth"

RUMOR: Wesley Snipes' Return As BLADE Could Be Happening Much Sooner Than Expected - Possible SPOILERS

BLOOD HUNT #1 Kicks Off Marvel's Latest Event With A Twist That Turns The Series On Its Head - SPOILERS

MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN Season 2 Trailer Introduces Supergirl And Lex Luthor

THOR Star Chris Hemsworth Reveals Whether He And Brother Liam Were Competing For God Of Thunder Role

SPIDER-MAN 2 Star Alfred Molina Reflects On Being Cast As Doctor Octopus And His NO WAY HOME Return

Hot Headlines

DOCTOR WHO Star Ncuti Gatwa Responds To Racist/Homophobic Backlash: "Turn Off The TV. Go And Touch Grass"

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Promo Art Finally Unveils Harrison Ford's Red Hulk

Chris Hemsworth Says "I Became A Parody Of Myself" In Taika Waititi's THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

X-MEN: Could MUFASA Director Barry Jenkins Be A Contender To Helm MCU Reboot?

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Promo Art Reveals Full Look At Sam Wilson's Suit As Toys Highlight Red Hulk

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

THE ACOLYTE Footage Leaks Online Ahead Of Its Debut With STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE This Weekend

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA New Poster, TV Spots And Still Released As Press Tour Kicks Off In Sydney

REBEL MOON Extended Cut Gets New Title And Official R-Rating For "Gore, Sexual Content, & Graphic Nudity"

ALIEN: ROMULUS Still Gives Us A New Look At One Of The Movie's Xenomorphs

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Action-Packed Final Trailer Features Lots Of New Footage

MEGALOPOLIS First Official Look Spotlights Adam Driver And Nathalie Emmanuel's Characters

Cartoons & Animated Features

X-MEN '97's Latest Episode Features An Intriguing Link To The MCU's Wider Multiverse Saga - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97 Spoilers: Bastion Enacts His Plan But There's A Huge Twist...And A Game-Changing Return

X-MEN '97 Features Some Huge Cameos...Including A Spectacular Marvel Superhero - SPOILERS

MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN Sets Season 2 Premiere Date With First Trailer & New Poster

X-MEN '97 Clip Sees The Summers Family Take A Road Trip...While Being Pursued By Prime Sentinels

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART THREE Teaser Reveals First Look At BATMAN: THE ANIMATED Series Reunion

Gaming

Xbox Games Showcase Confirmed For June 9 Followed By Possible First Look At CALL OF DUTY

Team-Based Shooter STAR WARS: HUNTERS Sets A June Release Date

PALWORLD: More Pals Set To Arrive This Summer In Newly Teased Update

STARFIELD: SHATTERED SPACE Expansion Coming This Fall; Bethesda Teases Another New Update Soon

FALLOUT Is Prime Video's Most-Watched Debut After THE RINGS OF POWER

STAR WARS OUTLAWS Reveals All-New Details About The Ashiga Clan

Anime & Manga

MY HERO ACADEMIA Shigaraki Voice Actor Teases Big Show Down With Star And Stripe In Season 7

DRAGON BALL: SPARKING! ZERO Trailer Reveals More Powerful Characters Joining The Roster

GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- Reveals Slayer As Final Season 3 DLC Fighter

HATSUNE MIKU Is Coming To MAGIC: THE GATHERING SECRET LAIR

Star And Stripe Character Visual Revealed Ahead Of MY HERO ACADEMIA Season 7 Premiere

New ONE PIECE Prequel Novel For Roronoa Zoro Announced

Horror

TERRIFIER 3: Art The Clown Is Up To His Old Tricks In First Official Promo Still

AVENGELYNE: Margot Robbie Eyeing Lead Role In Olivia Wilde's Comic Book Adaptation

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN - Return To Shadyside With First Official BTS Teaser

IN A VIOLENT NATURE Teaser Highlights Stellar Reviews Along With Terrifying New Footage

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES Features A Cameo From ANOTHER Member Of THE SANDMAN's Family - SPOILERS

First Look At Michael B. Jordan On The Set Of Ryan Coogler's Untitled Jim Crow-Era VAMPIRE Movie