Well, now we know why Aquaman has a thing for redheads. Apparently, it’s an Oedipal thing, as one of moviedom’s most memorable reds confirms she’s set to play Aquaman’s mum.
Kidman is just one of a growing number of mega-stars to play multiple roles in silver screen adaptations of comic book properties. Recall, she was psychiatrist Dr. Chase Meridian in the 1995 flick Batman Forever. That’s the one with Val Kilmer that was only marginally better than the one with George Clooney. So, any aqua-outing is almost certainly going to be a step up for Kidman, who has a mantle full of awards, including the Oscar for best actress in 2012’s The Hours to prove she’s got the acting chops for those projects that demand the full range of her talents.
However, in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kidman explained it wasn’t the talents of Aquaman director James Wan that convinced her to take a dip as Queen Atlanna so much as his status as a fellow Aussie:
“The reason why I love [Aquaman] is James Wan is an Australian, and I’ve followed his career since he started. He’s a really good friend of mine, and he offered to let me play Queen Atlanna,” Kidman said. “As soon as he said I could wear mother-of-pearl and be a mermaid warrior, I said I’m done. Please. If there is one thing I have to do in my life, I have to be that. [Laughs] Because, you’ve got to have some fun.”
Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa as the titular sea king, is set to begin shooting this May on location in Australia. It’s scheduled to hit theaters December 21, 2018.
No word on if Kidman might cameo in Justice League, which comes out November 17.
Atlanna is, of course, the monarch of Atlantis who fell in love with a lonely lighthouse keeper. For most of Aquaman’s history, she’s been a long-dead non-presence in his life, even if her legacy loomed large over everything he did. However, in current continuity (depending on how much of the pre-Rebirth New 52 story remains canon) she is still alive, wielding the Staff of Storms as protector of the other-dimensional dray-land refuge of Pacifica. How much of that story will remain in the movie remains to be seen, but the author of that retcon, Geoff Johns, is both president president of DC Entertainment and chief creative officer of DC Comics, making him the gatekeeper of what passes from movie prints to printed page, and visa versa.
Also set to star in Aquaman alongside Momoa and Kidman are Amber Heard (Zombieland) as Mera, William Dafoe (Spider-Man) as Vulko, Patrick Wilson (Fargo) as Ocean Master, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Get Down) as Black Manta, and Temuera Morrison (Green Lantern) as Aquaman’s dad, Thomas Curry. The story for the film was written by Johns and Wan, with the screenplay by Will Beall, who has produced scripts for TVÂ shows Training Day and Castle.
