James Wan’s Aquaman (2018) proved a grand triumph for DCEU. The Jason Momoa starrer, which features the actor in the titular hero’s role, became the highest-grossing installment worldwide in the superhero franchise. With Wan at the helm, the film garnered the status of a historic blockbuster. But before the 46-year-old was assigned to direct the movie, another prominent filmmaker was asked to take on the project.
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We’re, of course, referring to Oscar-winning talent Peter Jackson, renowned for vividly bringing J. R. R. Tolkien’s magical Middle-earth to life on the big screen. Jackson is no stranger to big-scale commercial blockbusters. One would assume from his repertoire that the director-screenwriter has perfected it. However, when it comes to the world of superheroes, the 62-year-old is not so interested.
In fact, when he was approached to helm Aquaman by former Warner Bros Entertainment CEO, Jackson had to turn down the offer—twice!
Peter Jackson Rejected Helming Aquaman (2018) Twice
Talking to Empire, the helmer, writer, and producer behind the renowned Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit trilogy, Peter Jackson, shared an anecdote of how he was approached to direct James Wan‘s Aquaman. During the project’s development, former Warner Bros CEO Kevin Tsujihara made the offer to the Emmy-winning talent twice. And funnily enough, Jackson had to turn him down. Twice.
Following was the statement made by the legendary director:
“He said, ‘Are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ‘No.’ Six months later: ‘Peter, are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ’No, Kevin, I already told you this.’ I’m not a superhero guy. I read Tintin… Look, films are hard. I only want to make something that I have a deep passion for.”
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The sentiment affirmed was followed up with the admission that Jackson didn’t plan to undertake “making another theatrical film for a year or two.” This statement was made in 2019. Since then, the helmer has offered the world a 2021 documentary series named The Beatles: Get Back, revolving around the creation of the Beatles’ 1970 album Let It Be.
There might still be some time till we see another large-scale pursuit tackled by Peter Jackson. Who knows? Perhaps in a few years, the audience will finally have the opportunity to witness the highly anticipated The Adventures of Tintin sequel. But superhero movies? That’s a no-no from the New Zealand film director.
James Wan’s Aquaman (2018) Was Successful Nevertheless
While it’s enticing to imagine what a world with Peter Jackson’s iteration of Aquaman (as wild as it sounds) would’ve looked like, there’s no denying that James Wan’s efforts in helming the project paid off on the commercial front. According to The Numbers, the 2018 superhero endeavor grossed $1.143 billion at the worldwide box office. This feat was achieved against a budget of $160–200 million.
It became Warner Bros.’ third-highest-grossing film worldwide, just behind the 2023 lucrative giant Barbie and 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. In an interview with Slash Film, Wan opened up on the liberties he was allowed to take in the second installment, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, after the mind-blowing success of the first film. Turns out, the absurdity of the endeavor was welcomed more wholeheartedly:
“I think, from a creative standpoint, having done it in the first film, is really the idea that we can lean into the more absurd aspect of the “Aquaman” world. All the strange and quirky characters and the world itself.”
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He then affirmed that the second time around, he wasn’t required to explain himself as much as he needed to for the first film. This is because people were now on board with the absurdity of specific elements without questioning them.
Although it is yet to be seen how Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) fares at the box office, whether or not it manages to reach the heights of its predecessor, critics’ reviews for the endeavor do not seem too kind. On Rotten Tomatoes, the Jason Momoa starrer currently sits at a 39% rating from 72 reviews.
It remains to be seen what the audience thinks of James Wan’s latest outing.
Aquaman (2018) is available for streaming on Max. Meanwhile, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) is set to hit the theatres on 22 December 2023.
