"Aquaman" Hits a High Watermark of Half a Billion Dollars at the Global Box Office

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Aquaman” is a worldwide box office hero that has took in more than $500 million, and still counting.  The announcement was made December 24 by Ron Sanders, President of Worldwide Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures Group and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

“Aquaman” began its remarkable run earlier this month in China when, on the heels of an appearance by director James Wan and stars Jason Momoa and Amber Heard, the film celebrated an almost $95 million opening weekend, the highest-ever opening for a Warner Bros. film in that market, where it currently stands at more than $230 million.  The stop was just one in a global tour that hit cities across four continents, from London to New York City to Manila, Australia and beyond, capping off a strategic campaign that kicked off last summer with Momoa diving off a cliff to preview the trailer launch ahead of the cast’s arrival at San Diego International Comic-Con.

In the Philippines, “Aquaman” has amassed a staggering Php 458.6-million in box-office gross since it opened last December 12.

Number 1 internationally for the third consecutive weekend, the film opened this past Friday in North America, where it has an impressive cume of $72.7 million and counting, with approximately 14 percent of the gross coming from IMAX screens.  In the 70 markets now in release, including Brazil ($17.1 million), Mexico ($16.1 million), Russia ($12.8 million) and the UK ($12.8 million), the international cume to date now stands at $415.5 million, with Australia set to open on December 26, Italy on January 1, and Japan on February 8.  “Aquaman” is presently en route to becoming the highest grossing Warner Bros. film ever in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan, among other markets.

 “James Wan has created a terrific movie that is clearly connecting with audiences around the world,” said Sanders. “We look forward to ‘Aquaman’ riding this wave of success through the holiday window and well into the new year.  Congratulations to the entire team behind this film.”

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes “Aquaman,” the origin story of half-surface dweller, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry that takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.  The action-packed adventure spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, and stars Jason Momoa in the title role.

The film also stars Amber Heard as Mera, a fierce warrior and Aquaman’s ally throughout his journey; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”) as Vulko, council to the Atlantean throne; Patrick Wilson as Orm, the present King of Atlantis; Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, King of the Atlantean tribe Xebel; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the revenge-seeking Black Manta; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours”) as Arthur’s mom, Atlanna.  Also featured are Ludi Lin as Captain Murk, an Atlantean Commando, and Temuera Morrison as Arthur’s dad, Tom Curry.

Wan directed from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger for DC.  The film was produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.

Wan’s team behind the scenes included such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), Wan’s five-time editor Kirk Morri, production designer Bill Brzeski, and visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain.  They were joined by costume designer Kym Barrett and composer Rupert Gregson-Williams.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Peter Safran Production, a James Wan Film, “Aquaman.”  The film is now playing in Philippine  IMAX cinemas, and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.