Are you ready to return to the world of Atlantis? Warner Bros. is making fans wait until 2022 for an Aquaman sequel, but there was no way they could let such a popular corner of the DC universe lay dormant for that long. A spinoff titled The Trench and based on the horrific creatures of the deep that attacked Aquaman and Mera is also in the works, and now we're learning it may be coming sooner than expected.
Speaking with THR, producer Peter Safran talked about the response to the Trench monsters, and how that is likely to speed up production on that film...
“We always, even from the early concept art days, loved the idea of a ‘Trench’ movie. Then, when audiences embraced it in the movie itself the way they did, particularly that ant farm shot where the camera follows the Trench [creatures] following Arthur and Mera down into the deep, we just knew that we had something very special there and we knew what that movie should be. And consequently, I suspect that that’s one that will come out significantly before ‘Aquaman 2.’”
One thing to keep in mind is that Safran and director James Wan have loads of experience building successful spinoffs thanks to their Conjuring horror universe. That knowledge is going to inform their process moving forward on The Trench...
“We’ve definitely taken a page from our ‘Conjuring’ playbook, which is: You’ve got the mothership, which is ‘Aquaman,’ but there are so many great stories to tell within that universe of itself, that Atlantean universe...“[WB President Walter Hamada], myself and James Wan always shared the same philosophy, which is: You want to do it right. You don’t want to do it fast. You just want to do it right.”
Safran continued by echoing the new DCEU mandate for more standalone films, rather than Justice League-style teamups...
“‘Wonder Woman’ has shown what a great stand-alone property that is. And in ‘Aquaman,’ we feel the same way. We think that there’s a great sequel and beyond to tell. We introduce seven kingdoms of Atlantis, right? James Wan knows the architecture, the armory, the military, the look, the feel, the general vibe of each of these kingdoms, and I’m sure that there will be an opportunity to explore them in some way later on.”
