Principal photography on the Aquaman sequel began on June 28, 2021, in London and wrapped on January 12, 2022, but it seems that the film is still being polished ahead of its December 20, 2023 release date.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was originally set for release on December 16, 2022, and then shifted its release date three times from March 17, 2023, to December 25, 2023, before finally settling on its current December 20 release date.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the moves were part of the AT&T and Discovery acquisition of Warner Bros. and the new ownership trying to delay marketing and distribution costs as the acquisition left the company a bit cash-strapped.
The release date changes were made during a period of uncertainty when Warner Bros. explored every avenue to bring spending down, including shelving a near-complete Batgirl film.
Gunn initially announced the reboot of the DC Universe on January 31, 2023, and would later clarify that time-traveling shenanigans in The Flash would be the mechanism for how some original DCEU actors would be able to continue on while other roles would be recast.
"Nope. Flash resets many things, not all things," Gunn previously teased. "Some characters remain the same some do not."
The dilemma WB and Gunn are facing now is that The Flash was a mixed bag in terms of critical reception but absolutely bombed at the box office (along with Shazam: Fury of the Gods). It's difficult to base a reset of a shared cinematic universe on a film that no one actually went to see in theaters.
If Blue Beetle also strikes out at the box office when it's released later this summer on August 18, that would certainly be a worrying trend for the Aquaman sequel as it looks to conclude the Snyderverse with a bang.
While speaking to THR to promote his directorial debut on Insidious: The Red Door, actor Patrick Wilson revealed that he recently filmed reshoots for The Lost Kingdom just a few weeks ago. THR made special mention to note that the interview was conducted on June 28.
"Orm is awesome. I was with him last week," revealed Wilson.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be the final entry in the DCEU before James Gunn's quasi-reboot begins in earnest with Superman: Legacy in 2025.
Time will tell how The Flash's failure at the box office affects the studio's plans moving forward.
In 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.