When it comes to 'Aquaman', director James Wan says he's in "a position of power"

We had heard that Aquaman was going to shoot in Australia, and last night The Daily Telegraph caught up with Aquaman director James Wan last night at the Australians in Film Awards in West Hollywood where he basically confirmed it.

“I’ve been wanting to bring a movie to Australia for a long time now, and it’s kind of hard because you don’t really dictate where you shoot your films,” Wan admitted. “But now, I’m in a position of power where I can say ‘If you guys want me to do this movie, this is how I’m going to do it’. It means I can make the film I want to make.”

Warner Bros. has famously, for better or worse, altered the final cut of both Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and David Ayer's Suicide Squad. It sounds like Wan is setting some ground rules early on, and who can blame him? He's earned the right to make demands after coming off of Furious 7, which made more than $1.5 billion world wide.

If Wan truly is in a position of power and gets to make the film that he wants to make, don't expect an "Ultimate Edition" or "Extended Cut" of Aquaman to hit Blu-ray.

SOURCE: The Daily Telegraph

38 comments

IamTheOneWhoKnocks

October 20, 2016

I loved reading that.....now this is the kind of director the DCEU needs, makes me even more hyped for the Aquaman movie.

OmegaCorleone
October 21, 2016
Hope it goes into pre-production soon so casting news can begin! Hope Wan gets a talented cinematographer as well. Fingers crossed the film will be shot on film although I wouldn't be surprised if this is going to be the first digitally shot DCEU film given the heavy CG nature that is going to be to create the vast underwater worlds.
1. IamTheOneWhoKnocks
  October 21, 2016
  Yeah, the budget for this movie is going to be really huge.
  1. Elz
    October 21, 2016
    Not really. It'll be just like most CBM budgets.
    $120-50m at most..
residentgrigo
October 21, 2016
It´s all talk until shit get´s real and it very well could with such a complicated to shoot film.
His filmography and that Fast 7 came out as a coherent picture is what should give you faith.
1. Alan Conn
  October 21, 2016
  I think hes got this... i hope anyway.
  1. residentgrigo
    October 21, 2016
    He certainly picked the 2nd hardest film to do, after maybe JLA. Not that i distrust Wan. The shoot will still be very hard.
BROWN_KNIGHT 4 Trump
October 21, 2016
Its a lie bro..just talk nothing more...

Mark

October 20, 2016

I strongly doubt he gets final cut, though. There's too much money in play to leave these films totally in the hands of the director.

ken
October 21, 2016
Well welcome to Hollywood or better welcome to the show business nobody is going to give you $200M to play with and come back later when your done. if a director not called Cameron or Spielberg want the final cut well they better create they own movie studio.
1. Mark
  October 21, 2016
  I totally agree; that's what I was saying after some here thought he would get final cut. Anyone who thinks the studio won't get their hands in the final product, look up Final Cut Privilege on Wikipedia
  1. Trapdoor
    October 21, 2016
    You were doing fine, until you sourced "Wikipedia" - In the 10hrs between you posting that & me posting this, "Final Cut Privilege" has probably been amended, to something involving a melon, a wooden knife & an aardvark. ;)
Nahuel Benvenuto
October 21, 2016
the only thing ruining the DCCU is warner itself, they need to stop and let the director make their movies, and there would not be all the mess that happened

Meg

October 20, 2016

James Wan is the man...Love his work, especially The Conjuring 1 and 2. This movie and The Batman are the only two with which I have not a single doubt.

col42
October 21, 2016
Yup, Aquaman and Batman hold the most promise, as well as The Flash. Still have doubts, not of the filmmakers but the studio. Never know what'll happen in post production, even with a film by Affleck.
1. Meg
  October 21, 2016
  Actually studio interference happens all the times. We just notice when it has negative effects on the movie. Though when it comes to Affleck and Wan, they should receive different treatments compared to Zack Snyder and David Ayer.
  1. col42
    October 21, 2016
    For sure, it does happen on almost every single movie, especially blockbusters. But what I meant was making poor decisions in post production which ultimately butcher the film. Cutting a film half an hour clearly didn't help and not sure how they thought it would, especially when it was the cut Snyder was mainly working on. Suicide Squad was also chopped up and re-assembled into a Frankenstein. It was so blatantly clear when watching the film. I understand, sometimes, an idea can seem great but not end the way it should have. In these cases, I'm not sure how any of these decisions seemed like good ideas in the beginning anyway. For that reason, I find it hard to trust WB.
OmegaCorleone
October 21, 2016
He also made the first Saw film, by far the best of that franchise.

col42

October 21, 2016

Not only did F7 make 1.5 billion, it made that kinda money from a movie that had to deal with a tragic loss half way through production. The fact that the film came out on top is due to the man's hard work.

PhoenixOuroboros

October 21, 2016

he is right, he can make whatever film he wants. Except when its done, then warner bros can cut out whatever they want out of it and screw it up big time

OmegaCorleone

October 21, 2016

Fuck yes do what you Wan!

residentgrigo

October 21, 2016

We will see but he came specifically to WB for the film, so he is clearly putting his passion into this film.
That is the most important part and Wan showed a drama free working relationship with studios before (Fast 7 must have been hard to do), so i only see very technical challenges in front of him.
Both sides will still butt head, they kind of should, as he will ultimately need to deliver a mass market film, which is good. BvS was undeniably harmed due to last second interference but Squad worked out great (noone expected that performance) so i won´t throw the stockholder under the buss that fast.
The DCEU still needs to get a coherent distribution structure, and before his film hits land. That is undeniable.

The walking Cuban

October 21, 2016

Hmm. Fast 7 director making a Pirates of the Caribbean style superhero movie, after Aquaman's been in JL... This film should make 3 billion easy. Oh uh and he directed Saw, so expect the Extended Cut to bring new meaning to the phrase Extended Cut.

Now what I really expect is somewhere between BVS and SS numbers. I'll say 800 mill.

Yohn

October 21, 2016

Just don't have Aquaman battle a giant cephalopod creature, please. Superman already did that.

Alan Conn

October 21, 2016

Obviously everyones thinking the same thing... but i really hope this means no studio interference.

StarTheory

October 21, 2016

Yeah until pre-production comes, enjoy your "power" while it lasts.

BROWN_KNIGHT 4 Trump

October 21, 2016

Time will tell...remember Wan what happened to Snyder and Ayers...

StarTheory
October 21, 2016
Ayer got fucked even before production started, forced to write the bloody script in 6 weeks... it saddens me that Ayer has to lie and say that garbage was his vision/movie to ensure that his career doesn't come to an end.
1. BROWN_KNIGHT 4 Trump
  October 21, 2016
  You are 100% right....he works exclusively with wb...that contract must be a rich one for him to slam himself like that to protect his investor...wb is hot trash with their pussy meddling...
  1. StarTheory
    October 21, 2016
    Who do you think is the worst when it comes to meddling? Sony, Fox or Warner?
    1. BROWN_KNIGHT 4 Trump
      October 21, 2016
      Wb is catching up...sony and fox I think its a tie...what wb did to bvs and ss....was just downright disgusting...
William L
October 21, 2016
http://betterafter50.com/wp...

That1Guy

October 21, 2016

We've heard this before. We all know that WB has the real power over these movies. Regardless I hope Aquaman turns out to be a good movie.

Elz

October 21, 2016

Ppl still believing WB "altered" these films?? WB told Zack they weren't sure about a 3hr movie(understandable), It was Zack who decieded what to take out of BvS(a movie I loved). In terms of SS(which I liked but didn't love), D. Ayer just butchered the final product. He messed with it too much. Every director is in a position of power with WB. Its what they are known for. I don't think Wan was talking about WB when he said this. He has a great relationship with the studio. He was speaking about his career as a whole. And "extended cuts" or "ultimate aditions" for movies are not uncommon.

Trapdoor

October 21, 2016

I have all the faith in the world, for the film makers.
WB: None what-so-ever.