Aquaman defied the odds to become one of the DC Extended Universe's biggest success stories, and a big part of that success was director James Wan.
However, Wan wasn't always anchored to Aquaman, and Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson has revealed that he was approached by former Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara about directing the film on two separate occasions.
“He said, ‘Are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ‘No.’ Six months later: ‘Peter, are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ’No, Kevin, I already told you this’,” Jackson told Empire. “I’m not a superhero guy. I read Tintin."
While Jackson made his Tintin movie with 2011's The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, Jackson has also enjoyed massive success with his Lord of the Rings movies. Like Wan, Jackson also has several horror films in his background, including ult favorites such as The Frighteners and Heavenly Creatures.
"Look, films are hard. I only want to make something that I have a deep passion for," Jackson said, before adding. "I don’t really anticipate making another theatrical film for a year or two.”
Under James Wan, Aquaman ended up grossing $1.14 billion worldwide and earning mostly positive reviews. An Aquaman sequel is slated to hit theaters on Dec. 16, 2022 and a spinoff focusing on the underwater monsters of The Trench is also in development.