‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Budget Breakdown

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is something of a strange, impromptu finale for the DCEU, but it’s somewhat fitting that the cinematic universe is ending with a sequel to one of the franchise’s most successful movies. Certainly one of the more entertaining films in the DCEU, the original Aquaman shattered expectations at the global box office, earning well over a billion dollars on a budget of only $160 million. With that, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has big fins to fill if it wants to get even close to that level of box office gold (especially given it has a marginally higher budget compared to its predecessor).

Picking up not too long after the original movie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom sees Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) defend his title as the King of Atlantis from a vengeful David Kane (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who has come into possession of the fearsome Black Trident. The stakes for Arthur are higher than ever, especially given that he’s a new father to an infant child. Even a mighty Atlantean superhero like him is going to need help, so Arthur reluctantly breaks his rival half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) out of prison, so they can put an end to Black Manta’s reign of terror.

The road to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been a surprisingly long one. The film has faced numerous delays and release date changes for various reasons, ultimately making it five years since the first Aquaman in 2018. Despite the delays, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has a hefty price tag, but will it be enough to match the 2018 original’s success? Read below for our comprehensive budget breakdown of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to find out more. Remember that the full budgetary details for projects like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are not typically shared publicly, and much of the following is based on reported data, established net worth, etc.

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Budget for ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ by Department

Cast

Much of the original 2018 film’s cast returns for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, with consistent franchise fan-favorite Jason Momoa reprising his role as Arthur Curry. According to reports, Momoa was already attached to appear in an Aquaman sequel, but after the film greatly exceeded expectations, Momoa renegotiated his contract. Where he was only set to make around $3-6 million before, Momoa reportedly made $15 million for his role reprising the titular Aquaman.

Other notable stars returning for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are Patrick Wilson as Orm, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David Kane, Amber Heard as Mera, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin, Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, John Rhys-Davies as the Brine King, and Vincent Regan as King Atlan. Newcomers for the sequel include Only Murders in the Building star Martin Short, Game of Thrones star Pilou Asbæk, Queen & Slim star Indya Moore, and The Sugar Captains star Jani Zhao.

VFX

Since almost the entire movie takes place underwater, you can imagine that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom heavily emphasize digital effects. That’s especially true for the intricate and detailed ocean environments, such as the bright and vibrant city of Atlantis. Still, the James Wan sequel is consistent with the original in that it includes practical effects where it can, such as the comic-accurate super suits for both Aquaman and Black Manta. With a star-studded cast and elaborate effects, it should come as no surprise that those departments are where the bulk of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s budget went.

Filming Locations

If Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom were directed by James Cameron, there’s a good chance the sequel would have been filmed underwater. Alas, that’s not the case for the sequel, as the vast majority was filmed on a soundstage to bring its surreal and elaborate underwater locales to life. That’s also likely true for the above-sea-level locations like Orm’s prison and Black Manta’s island base.

Here’s where things get a bit strange. Despite being the sequel to one of the highest-grossing movies ever made, the marketing for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been surprisingly minimal. Whereas other superhero films would probably get at least 2-3 main trailers, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom only got one. Plus, the film didn’t even get a red carpet premiere like many other films before it. The film’s review embargo also only lifted the day before wide theatrical release, which is typically a big sign that a studio lacks confidence in a project’s reception. Perhaps preliminary marketing plans for the film were scrapped due to uncertainty about the industry strikes, or DC is simply trying to move on from the DCEU to focus on James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s new continuity.

Most blockbusters of this level usually have a marketing budget of at least $150 million. Still, that number could very easily be lower, given the noticeably minimal marketing for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

How Much Does ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Need to Make to Break Even?

The final reported production budget for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is about $205 million, costing $45 million more than the 2018 Aquaman film. With a marketing budget likely ending up somewhere around $100-150 million, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will need to make somewhere between $305-355 million to break even. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will need a final take of $510-555 million to be considered a box office success. That’s only half of what the first film made, but given Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s performance thus far, it’s going to be an upstream battle.

How’s ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Doing at the Box Office So Far?

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom floundered in its opening weekend with an underwhelming $27.7 million. Not only is that less than half of what the original film did in its opening weekend, but it’s also a lower take than both Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash. It’s also an even lower opening weekend than the MCU’s first box office bomb, The Marvels. So far, the broader domestic take isn’t much better, as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has made only $38.3 million in the U.S. and Canada so far. The good news is that the sequel did perform marginally better internationally, as the total global box office thus far is $118.5 million.

How Do the Budget and Box Office Projects of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Compare to Other DCEU Films?

The rough start at the box office for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom makes the already complicated financial legacy for the DCEU even more so. It is the fourth most expensive DCEU film ever produced, coming in behind Justice League, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Man of Steel. Even if the Aquaman sequel does manage to break even, it likely won’t make nearly as much as its predecessor, which is still the highest-grossing film in the DCEU by a decent margin (even though Wonder Woman is the highest-grossing DCEU project domestically). It’s a bit too early to say for sure, but it looks like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom may be yet another underperforming DCEU send-off for 2023, following the disappointing box office performance of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, and Blue Beetle.

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