Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has yet to release, but a new update from its test screening has worried fans.
Test screenings have been a mixed bag for DC movies lately. Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam performed poorly during its round of previews, resulting in a dismal outing at the box office.
However, other DC films like Blue Beetle and The Flash received positive reviews from their respective test screenings, with the latter reportedly being “extraordinarily well-received.”
However, it seems that Aquaman 2 is currently in the same boat as Black Adam.
Aquaman 2 Receives Disappointing Test Screening Update
DC
Insider ViewerAnon described the consensus of Aquaman 2 to be “boring, not as good as the first, and potentially one of the worst DCEU movies” after half a dozen test screenings:
“I’ll be honest, we’re half a dozen test screenings in and it’s not looking great. I’ve consistently heard over the last half year or so that it’s boring, not as good as the first, and potentially one of the worst DCEU movies.”
Big Screen Leaks (BSL) corroborated ViewerAnon’s report, saying Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s test screenings for the movie “have not been good:”
“It brings me no joy to back him up and tell you that test screenings for this film have not been good. Really hoping Wan fixes this movie before December.”
BSL then teased that “something that almost never happened in test screenings” occurred with Aquaman 2, indicating how bad its performance is:
“I heard that something that almost never happened in test screenings happened with this movie. They’re really going to need to fix this one and fix it fast.”
ViewerAnon said that Aquaman 2 director James Wan “had a rough time” making the sequel:
“This is one of the bad things about being a scooper: I don’t want to shit on movies but at a certain point, when people know there have been a lot of test screenings our silence becomes pretty telling. I like Wan, I know he’s had a rough time on this one, I hope it works out.”
The entertainment scooper also pointed out that the sequel’s poor test screening performance has nothing to do with Amber Heard’s Mera since “she’s not in the film that much.”
Heard has been in the mix of controversy due to her legal clash with actor Johnny Depp.
Industry insider Jeff Sneider also heard that Aquaman 2‘s test screenings were “terrible.”
Will Aquaman 2’s Test Screenings Rumors Affect Fan Reception?
This latest update about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is disheartening for its cast and crew, especially after the news that “people walked out.”
It’s quite odd that such individuals would walk out of test screenings since it would’ve been avoided to tell the studio directly what went wrong.
It will take some time before fans and critics will eventually give their respective takes on Aquaman 2, but this news could affect their perception of the sequel as it approaches its premiere.
The fact that Aquaman 2 has poor performances in test screenings could also mean that Jason Momoa’s time as the Atlantean King may come to an end.
While the actor has so much love for Arthur Curry, negative reactions toward the sequel could make him jump ship to another DC character, potentially as the heavily-rumored Superman villain, Lobo.
Moreover, this also spells bad news for Warner Bros. Discovery, as Aquaman 2 reportedly has one of the most expensive budgets for a DC film.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to premiere in theaters on December 25.
