Box Office: ‘Aquaman’ Swims to Record $94M Bow in China

The superhero pic will dive into North American theaters on Dec. 21.

James Wan’s Aquaman made a giant splash in its China two
weeks ahead of its U.S. launch, grossing $93.6 million to land the top
opening ever for a DC comic book adaptation.

Aquaman — starring Jason Momoa in the titular role — also marks the biggest start ever in China for any Warner Bros. title, besting Ready Player One by 66 percent.

Among Warner Bros./DC movies, Aquaman launched 92 percent ahead of Justice League and 78 percent ahead of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Plus, it has already exceeded the entire lifetime gross of Wonder Woman in the country.

Aquaman also delivered the biggest industry opening in China
for the month of December, commanding 85 percent of market share. Imax
sites in the Middle Kingdom turned in a mighty $9.7 million.

Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson and Dolph Lundgren co-star in the tentpole, which follows on the heels of Sony’s Venom, which has earned a stunning $268 million in China to date for a global total north of $850 million.

Warners decided to unfurl Aquaman first in China, followed
by additional foreign markets next week, in order to get a jump on a
crowded pack of year-end holiday films, including Mary Poppins Returns and the Transformers spinoff Bumblebee.

Aquaman will open in North America on Dec. 21, the beginning of the lucrative year-end holiday corridor.

Box Office: ‘Aquaman’ Swims to Record $94M Bow in China

‘Aquaman’ First Reactions Are Highly Positive: ‘An Undersea Star Wars’

dcmultiverse:

You won’t see “Aquaman” reviews for some time, but the social-media levy has broken and the first wave of reactions has crashed online. Perhaps surprisingly, they’re almost all highly positive — James Wan’s entry in the DCEU has been called “an absolute blast,” “breathtakingly beautiful,” and “an undersea Star Wars” by those who’ve seen the superhero movie starring Jason Momoa.

Writer Ben Mekler tweeted: Aquaman is everything DC fans have been hoping for and more. Rollicking action, an amazing sense of world-building, spellbinding musical numbers in which Aquaman wears clams as tap shoes, and a command performance from Jason Momoa. DC has really righted the ship. The DCEU lives!

With Aquaman, James Wan has crafted a world the likes of which we’ve never seen on screen before. It truly is an undersea Star Wars, with a palpable sense of history, hammerhead sharks with human legs who can pop, lock, and drop it, and flat-out incredible creature design.

‘Aquaman’ First Reactions Are Highly Positive: ‘An Undersea Star Wars’

First Reactions to ‘Aquaman’ Tease a Tidal Wave of Epic Adventure and Dazzling Visuals

justiceleague:

The first tidal wave of reactions are extremely positive, with comparisons to everything from Indiana Jones to Lord of the Rings to Avatar, with some rumblings that it may even be the best DC film since The Dark Knight. Special
attention is being paid to director James Wan, who appears to
have melded his experience on small-budget horror films and large-scale
blow-em-ups like Fast 7 to create something with a personal adventure on a grand scale.

First Reactions to ‘Aquaman’ Tease a Tidal Wave of Epic Adventure and Dazzling Visuals