Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, wields the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman must turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance and protect their kingdom from irreversible destruction.
Information |
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|---|---|
Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
December 22, 2023 |
Running time |
124 minutes |
Genre |
Action Adventure Fantasy Sci-Fi |
Budget |
$205,000,000 |
Box Office |
$434,381,226 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
James Wan |
Produced by |
Peter Safran James Wan Rob Cowan |
Written by |
David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick |
Music by |
Rupert Gregson-Williams |
Cinematography |
Don Burgess |
Edited by |
Kirk M. Morri |
Production Co. |
Warner Bros. DC Studios Atomic Monster The Safran Company |
Distributed by |
Warner Bros. Pictures |
Official Trailer
The Plot
The Burden of Two Worlds
Four years have passed since Arthur Curry ascended to the throne as the King of Atlantis. While he has settled into domestic life, marrying Mera and welcoming their son, Arthur Curry Jr., the dual responsibilities of his existence have become a heavy burden. Arthur finds the bureaucratic and mundane duties of ruling the underwater kingdom dull and unexciting compared to his heroic past. He frequently clashes with the Council of Atlantis, particularly the obstinate Council Head Karshon, who dismisses most of Arthur's progressive ideas, leaving the King frustrated and feeling isolated in his leadership.
Despite the political friction, Arthur finds solace on land. He splits his time between the ocean and the surface, where his father, Tom Curry, plays a crucial role in raising Arthur Jr. whenever Arthur and Mera are called away by Atlantean state affairs. It is during these quiet domestic moments that the family discovers the young prince has inherited his father's unique ability to communicate with marine life, a sign of his royal potential.
The Black Trident Awakens
Far from the warmth of the Curry lighthouse, in the frozen wastewaters of Antarctica, David Kane—seeking vengeance for his father's death—continues his hunt for Atlantean technology. Accompanied by marine biologist Stephen Shin, Kane embarks on an expedition to repair his Black Manta armor using ancient ruins hidden beneath the ice. During their exploration, Shin accidentally uncovers a massive cavern. Venturing deeper, they encounter a mysterious, ancient creature guarding the site.
In the depths of this frozen tomb, Kane discovers the shattered remains of a Black Trident. Upon reassembling the weapon, he is immediately possessed by a malevolent entity. The spirit within the trident promises Kane the power to destroy Arthur Curry and everything he loves, but in exchange, Kane must free the entity from its icy prison. Kane accepts the pact, setting a catastrophic chain of events in motion.
The Theft of Orichalcum
Five months after Kane's discovery, the world begins to suffer from severe climate shifts, resulting in natural disasters and deadly plagues that infect the population of Atlantis. Arthur, recognizing the global threat, proposes revealing Atlantis to the surface world to collaborate on a solution. However, Karshon vehemently opposes this, aligning himself with the ideologies of the imprisoned former King, Orm Marius, who wished to eradicate surface dwellers. While the political infighting continues, Black Manta strikes.
Now commanding an army equipped with ancient, unidentified Atlantean technology, Kane attacks Atlantis. His objective is the kingdom's reserves of Orichalcum, a powerful but volatile resource that emits massive quantities of greenhouse gases. Historically, this substance nearly caused a planetary extinction when used by an ancient kingdom. During the raid, Atlantean forces scramble to defend the city. Queen Atlanna and Mera lead the defense, but in the ensuing confrontation, Mera is severely injured by Manta's enhanced weaponry before he successfully escapes with the Orichalcum reserves.
The Unlikely Alliance
Realizing that Manta's usage of Orichalcum is accelerating ocean acidification and raising planetary temperatures, Arthur knows he cannot track his enemy alone. Desperate, he decides to break his half-brother, Orm, out of his desert prison. Despite their tumultuous past, Arthur needs Orm’s knowledge of the old world to locate Manta. Once free, the brothers travel to a pirate haven known as the Sunken Citadel. There, they meet with the crime lord Kingfish, using coercion and diplomacy to extract information regarding Manta’s whereabouts.
The Devil’s Deep
The intelligence gathered leads Arthur and Orm to a volcanic island in the South Pacific, a base of operations for Manta. The island is teeming with flora and fauna that have been grotesquely mutated by the refining of Orichalcum. The brothers fight their way through the monstrous wildlife and Manta’s forces. During the infiltration, Orm comes into contact with the Black Trident. The artifact triggers a visceral vision, revealing its dark provenance to him.
Orm learns that the trident was created by Kordax, the brother of King Atlan and the ruler of the lost kingdom of Necrus. Kordax had been imprisoned with powerful blood magic following a failed attempt to usurp the throne. The vision reveals a terrifying truth: the blood of any of Atlan's descendants is the key to releasing Kordax. Realizing that Manta is not just targeting Arthur, but his entire bloodline, the brothers rush home, but they are too late. Manta has already attacked the lighthouse and kidnapped Arthur Jr. to use the child's blood for the ritual.
The Lost Kingdom of Necrus
With the help of Dr. Shin, who has grown horrified by Manta's descent into madness, the Atlanteans pinpoint the location of the lost kingdom of Necrus, buried deep within Antarctica. Arthur and Orm join forces with the Atlantean army to storm the frozen citadel. In the throne room of Necrus, Arthur confronts Black Manta in a brutal duel. Manta, fueled by the Black Trident's dark magic, nearly kills Arthur, bringing him to his knees.
Just as Manta prepares the killing blow, Mera arrives, intervening just in time to save her husband. As Mera scrambles to take Arthur Jr. to safety, Manta hurls the Black Trident at her with lethal intent. In a moment of redemption, Orm intercepts the weapon, catching it before it can strike Mera. However, the moment Orm touches the trident, the spirit of Kordax abandons Manta and possesses Orm, exploiting his lingering jealousy and rage.
Brother Against Brother
Possessed by the ancient tyrant, Orm turns on Arthur, engaging him in a fierce battle. Using the chaos of the fight, the possessed Orm manages to draw blood from Arthur, mixing it with the altar to break the ancient seal. Kordax is freed from his frozen imprisonment, rising to reclaim his lost kingdom. The situation seems dire as the brothers clash, but Arthur refuses to treat Orm as an enemy. He appeals to Orm’s honor, convincing his brother to let go of his hatred and resentment.
Arthur’s words break Kordax’s hold. Regaining control of his mind, Orm joins Arthur, and together they turn their attention to the true enemy. Arthur hurls the Black Trident at Kordax, shattering the artifact and destroying the ancient tyrant once and for all. With Kordax’s magic vanishing, the structural integrity of Necrus fails, and the lost kingdom begins to collapse around them.
Redemption and Revelation
As the city crumbles, Arthur spots Black Manta dangling precariously over a deep fissure. Despite everything, Arthur extends a hand to save him. Manta, consumed by his vendetta to the very end, refuses the King's help and allows himself to fall into the abyss to his death. The Atlanteans, along with Dr. Shin, manage to escape the collapsing ruins just in time.
In the aftermath, Arthur and Mera agree that Orm has redeemed himself through his actions in Necrus. However, given his criminal status, he cannot return to Atlantis. They decide to tell the world that Orm died a hero during the battle, allowing him to live a free life in anonymity on the surface. Reconciled, the brothers part ways with mutual respect. Believing that unity is the only path forward, Arthur officially reveals the existence of Atlantis to the United Nations, declaring his intention to make the kingdom a member state to protect the oceans. Meanwhile, Orm settles into his new life on land, finally taking Arthur’s advice to try a cheeseburger, savoring the simple delights of the surface world for the first time.
Top Cast
- Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman
- Patrick Wilson as King Orm
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta
- Amber Heard as Mera
- Nicole Kidman as Atlanna
- Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus
- Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin
- Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry
- Martin Short as Kingfish (Voice)
- Jani Zhao as Stingray
Movie Collection
- Aquaman (2018)
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
