Details of Jeff Nichols’ Aquaman adaptation revealed

Although for many years the figure of Aquaman was used for mockery of all kinds, true connoisseurs knew well that the character was one of the most powerful in the entire DC universe and one that had great potential for the big screen. The hero finally found a place in the cinema thanks to Zack Snyder and Jason Momoa, although he was Aquaman- 73% the one that really allowed him to demonstrate his strength as a protagonist. Now that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom seems lost, it seems like a good time to discover what could have become of the character in the hands of another director, one like Jeff Nichols, who came close to adapting the character a few years ago.

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The long road to adapting Aquaman

Warner Bros. has the rights to adapt DC comics and for several years the production company dedicated itself to exploiting the most important pillars of the brand by promoting various versions of Superman and Batman, some more successful than others, but which in general contributed a lot. to the canon of each character. But DC is a very large universe and other heroes deserved an equally good opportunity to conquer the big screen, although the context for that to finally happen took a long time to arrive.

Like The Flash – 60%, Aquaman It was an adaptation that Warner tried to develop for several years. The main obstacle seemed to be the budget, since at that time the technology available to show an underwater world was quite expensive and limited. Considering that the result would be very poor, the company put the idea on the shelf until 2004 when they took things up again. In the end, it was decided that instead of having a solo film, the hero should appear in a Justice League film that would be directed by George Miller.

Although this film was highly anticipated and already had the full cast, with Santiago Cabrera as Aquaman, it ultimately fell apart due to the writers’ strike that year and the company’s changes in plans. After passing through several hands and after the proven success of the UCM, the company decided to continue this structure starting from The Man of Steel – 55%. Eventually, James Wan came on board to direct the solo film. Aquaman which became a huge hit at the global box office and was quickly greenlit for a sequel.

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Jeff Nichols wanted to show an old and violent hero in his adaptation of Aquaman

Sony leaks in 2014 revealed that the company approached Jeff Nichols to direct Aquaman, but in the end things did not turn out well. Nichols is best known in the independent film world thanks to films like Take Shelter – 91%, The Boy and the Fugitive – 98% and The Loving Marriage – 89%, so he had a more personal vision to adapt the character. During a podcast appearance Happy Sad Confused (via Variety), the director talked a little about his plans for Aquaman and why the negotiations fell apart:

I still have scenes from (Aquaman) in my head that would have been good. They would have been quite different from the movie that was made. It was never feasible… I liked the older Aquaman, like when he has a harpoon for a hand. He was a fallen king and his son was dead. I was in mourning. Obviously, from this brief presentation you can see that hundreds of dollars worth of tickets would have been sold.

The director assures that Warner Bros. rejected his idea because it was not very profitable and they were aiming for billions at the box office:

It’s fun to play with that stuff, but we have a lot of those movies now. There are many stories in the world. It’s okay to spend time telling others.

In old interviews, Nichols seemed to confirm that part of the problem also had to do with the control that Warner Bros. wanted for the final cut, since at that time they were already planning each installment of their DCEU. In the end, the director walked away and left the way for Wan’s arrival, although now this creator’s own plans seem about to reach the limit considering how little interest there is in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom which will arrive at the end of this year.

Don’t leave without reading: Rumor: Warner Bros. Discovery will not invest in advertising for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom