for a sequel written, and that after he pitched it to the studio through Emmerich and Safran, they were receptive and enthusiastic. In January 2019, the sequel was officially confirmed to be in development, with the studio courting Wan to return. The following month, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, co-writer of the first film, signed on as the screenwriter. Warner Bros. confirmed via The Hollywood Reporter in February 2019 that the studio has set a release date of December 16, 2022, with pre-production set to begin in 2020. In October 2019, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II told Uproxx that he will reprise his role as Black Manta for the sequel. In November 2020, Amber Heard confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that she will be reprising her role as Mera in the sequel, with shooting to begin in 2021. In March 2021, DiscussingFilm reported that the film is looking to begin filming this June in the UK under the production title "Necrus" and that Richard Sale will join the project as a costume designer. The working title has roots in Aquaman lore and may allude to the underwater city of Necrus making an appearance. In April 2021, Pilou Asbæk entered talks to join the cast. In June 2021, the film's title was revealed as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Creature Designer Ken Barthelmey is working on the designs. On June 28, 2021, Wan posted a photo on Instagram, announcing that production on the sequel has begun. Animated miniseries In January 2020, a three-part animated miniseries based on Aquaman was announced, with James Wan set to serve as executive producer, and to premiere on HBO Max. Although non-canonical to the wider DCEU, Aquaman: King of Atlantis would be set after the events of Wan's 2018 DCEU Aquaman film, explicitly referencing its events throughout, and feature the voices of Cooper Andrews, Gillian Jacobs, Thomas Lennon, and Dana Snyder respectively replacing Momoa, Heard, Wilson, and Dafoe in their roles. On February 17, 2021, the Television Critics Association had a press junket with HBO Max, in which a promotional image was released. On September 1, 2021, it was announced the series will air on Cartoon Network as part of the ACME Night block. On September 10, 2021, it was announced it will be released on October 14, 2021. Canceled spin-off In February 2019, Warner Bros. announced that a "horror-tinged" spin-off called The Trench was in development, with Wan producing and