Dolph Lundgren begins inevitable drumbeat for alternate cut of Aquaman 2
The DC universe is filled with movies, and each of those movies apparently has a director’s cut just waiting to be released
Aux News Aquaman
Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom star Dolph Lundgren has opened the Mother Box, alerting the world to another alternate cut to a DC superhero movie. We’ve heard of the Snyder Cut and the Ayer Cut. Now prepare for the Wan Cut of Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom.
In a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Lundgren divulged about a better cut of the floundering Aquaman sequel. The sequel closed a year of disappointments for the superhero genre, indicating that general audiences have grown tired of CGI blobs crashing into each other on dimly lit parking lots in Atlanta. Given the setbacks Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom faced, including a studio that suddenly didn’t want the film nor the cinematic universe to which it belonged and negative press surrounding the film’s star Amber Heard, the tepid reaction to the movie is hardly surprising. Lundgren just wishes fans could see the version he saw “a bit of.”
“I was just disappointed for the moviegoers because I thought the original script was great, and the original cut—I saw a little bit of it—was really good,” Lundgren said.
Lundgren, who plays Heard’s character’s father, Nereus, insists a better Aquaman exists, but due to “some kind of corporate decision that they try to limit Amber Heard,” fans will never get to see that cut. Nevertheless, the cut he saw was so good that he didn’t “see any reason to start reshooting and reshaping the story, which obviously led to disappointment in the moviegoers and not just me.” Of course, that’s what happened. Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom underwent numerous reshoots. However, James Wan refutes that Heard’s role was reduced and reportedly blocked any efforts to cut her. Wan insists that extensive reshoots are normal for the genre, which is true, and that reshoots got tricky because of talent schedules, which also seems true.
Still, it wouldn’t be a DC movie without someone hinting at a better version. After all, fans don’t want to see a good movie. They want the potential to see a good film that the studio was keeping from them. We’re not Atlantians and, therefore, won’t hold our breath for a “Wan Cut” of Aquaman 2 because we’re already holding our breath for the “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad. Please release these movies. We’re running out of Ayer air.
12 Comments
I thought the theatrical cut was fine. The editing is choppy in a way that obviously suggests it was hacked to pieces, and if it was really re-edited to limit Amber Heard’s screen time, then that sucks, but to me it feels like they haphazardly removed anything a focus group might have called boring. I know there were multiple rounds of reshoots, and I’m mildly curious at best what the original screenplay looked like, but it’s fuckin’ Aquaman 2. I went to see a huge Hawaiian dude stab people with his trident while riding a giant seahorse, and I was not disappointed.
I can’t find it, but I read an obit here (I think) about a guy who negotiated the standard director’s union contract (or something like that) which gave every director the right to finish a director’s cut and present it to the studio (or whoever). They don’t have to release it, but they have to let the director make it.So most movies must have a director’s cut waiting to be released.
Often times this right to a director’s cut is limited to a single, contractually obligated screening, after which all bets are off. This is how RKO burned Orson Welles with The Magnificent Ambersons. When Welles made Citizen Kane, he had the right to Final Cut. The film had to be released with approval, or not at all. But it underperformed at the BO, and when Welles sought to make Ambersons, RKO agreed with the proviso he give up Final Cut. He instead got first cut, or director’s cut. The film was contractually obligated to be screened at least once in his preferred version before alterations were made. Welles and his people assumed he was at least guaranteed a premiere of his version, after which yeah, changes might be made (this was not an uncommon practice for films to be shortened or retooled after premiere or roadshows). Welles believed his film was in safe hands and was secure at least until the premiere, and left the country to work on a documentary. RKO, meanwhile, screened Welles’s cut for a preview audience, deemed their contractual obligation satisfied, and then proceeded to take the film completely apart…
So most movies must have a director’s cut waiting to be released.Not really. Those cuts generally are quite unfinished, with temp effects and temp sound. If the person with final cut authority, usually a producer or other exec, decides to make changes it’s not like that original cut is maintained. There’s still a lot that goes into finishing a film at that point.
I guess DC stands for “Director’s Cut”
or Don’t Care
Meanwhile the original cut of “The Assassination of Jesse James” still remains un-clamored for.
Release the Drago cut.
Release the He-Man cut.
Release the Kraken cut.
‘I saw a little bit of a different cut and it was way better than the finished version!’-A guy who should know better, really.
No. Enough of this. If you make a bad movie, you do not get a do-over. You get to move on to the next project unless you have made too many bad movies, in which case you use your German tax shelter to make more bad movies.
I don’t care about Aquaman, but I will support Dolph if he campaigns for a director’s cut of The Punisher 1989
That’s gonna be one lonely ass drum circle.