The Jason Momoa-led Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens on top of the box office with its opening day debut of $13.7 million USD opening.
As per Variety, the sequel opens across 3,706 locations with the help of premieres in “premium large format auditoriums” such as IMAX. However, the sum is still significantly lower than its predecessor, which debuted with $27.7 million USD during the 2018 holiday season. James Wan’s film is still expected to lead the box office this holiday season, however the likelihood of it closing out with even just half of the first Aquaman — which finished with $335 million USD in North America and over $1 billion USD globally — seems unlikely.
Momoa returns as the titular character alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Manta, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Amber Heard as Mera, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin. The plot reads:
“Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.”
