The Hollywood Reporter brings word that screenwriter Will Beall, best known for his work on Gangster Squad, has circled back to Warner Bros.’ big-screen rendition of Aquaman, this time working from a treatment penned by James Wan and DC stalwart Geoff Johns.
Much of that comes down to the studio’s decision to foster two versions of Aquaman simultaneously, drafting in Beall and Kurt Johnstad in the summer of 2014 to iron out one, while David Leslie Johnson – a frequent cohort of Wan’s following his contribution to horror sequel The Conjuring 2 – was welcomed aboard to pen another.
During his time away from Atlantis, Beall took point on CBS’ TV spinoff of Training Day, writing and even executive producing the upcoming pilot. That afforded Warner Bros. and, in particular, James Wan and Geoff Johns time to survey the scene and effectively outline the core premise of their Aquaman movie, bringing us to the present day where Will Beall has been rehired as the solo writer.
It’s slightly unorthodox, of course, but after crafting a billion-dollar juggernaut in Furious 7 – a movie that wasn’t without its own production woes – and hitting a home run with his sequel to The Conjuring, we’re inclined to give Wan the benefit of the doubt.
Jason Momoa will emerge from the deep blue, trident in hand, when Aquaman roars into theaters on July 27, 2018. Elsewhere, Amber Heard and Willem Dafoe are on board as Aquaman’s mate, Mera, and advisor, Vulko, respectively.
