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Willem Dafoe On How Aquaman’s Underwater Scenes Are Filmed

Even though the first footage to be culled from Aquaman was shown at San Diego Comic-Con, the folks over at Warner Bros. have elected to withhold it from the public at large for the time being. So, until a full-blown trailer for the blockbuster starring Jason Momoa actually finds its way online, we'll have to rely on set photos and the like in order to help tide us over.

Even though the first footage to be culled from Aquaman was shown at San Diego Comic-Con, the folks over at Warner Bros. have elected to withhold it from the public at large for the time being. So, until a full-blown trailer for the blockbuster starring Jason Momoa actually finds its way online, we’ll have to rely on set photos and the like in order to help tide us over.

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Well, that in addition to whatever details the cast are at liberty to divulge. Truth be told, the specifics as to how the filmmakers will go about shooting dramatic scenes set underwater actually slipped my mind. Yes, I’m fully aware to expect what are sure to be some truly mind-blowing action sequences, but what of those moments of exposition taking place within Atlantis itself?

Fortunately, veteran actor Willem Dafoe, who’s set to play Vulko, had this insight to offer when recently speaking with Screen Crush:

“Most of my scenes are underwater. Some are not. So much of it, because we’re talking, and shooting underwater is a lot of ways impractical because you’re limited to what you can do with sets. It’s more about shooting them dry for wet, and then the effects do certain things to give the water feel. But we aren’t doing the scenes underwater, but we are in harnesses and on wires. There is movement. It’s not like were all sitting around pretending were underwater like this [stands up still], we’re swimming around, we’re moving. So that should be really beautiful.”

When you really think about it, combining something as practical as wire work with visual effects should do the trick. After all, we weren’t expecting them to go all Thunderball on us, now were we? Either way, count us as being interested in seeing how this movie magic is applied when Vulko plays the role of mentor to Arthur Curry.

Aquaman arrives in theaters on December 21, 2018.