With a budget floating in the $160 million range, Aquaman isn't exactly the "little" movie that could, but it certainly has performed. As of this weekend, it's the highest-grossing DC movie of all time, overtaking The Dark Knight Rises (not adjusted for inflation, of course) on the worldwide list. Which means there's little surprise that, with a sequel already in development, the studio wants director James Wan involved in the early work.
As of right now, according to Deadline, Wan is in the enviable position of deciding exactly how he wants to be involved with the next Aqua-venture. While some directors would be tempted to leap back in (presuming a decent payday), Wan has other irons in the fire, including his ever-expanding horror franchises. He also may feel like he's done the superhero thing and look to pastures new (he did, after all, only make one Fast & Furious film).
The plan is for Wan to oversee the selection of writers for the script of the sequel, and assuming he likes what he sees, he'll start working on a deal to return to the director's chair. It's also worth noting that he did enjoy building the world of Arthur Curry and co., so the odds are good he could be back for more.
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