Back in 2014, Warner Bros. hired Gangster Squad scribe Will Beall and Act of Valor scribe Kurt Johnstad to pen two different scripts for the Aquaman movie. Last summer, when the studio appointed Furious 7 director James Wan to helm the movie, it was also revealed that he would be working on the screenplay developed by Johnstad.
However, we learned last month that they have brought in Beall again to work off a detailed treatment by Wan and DC Films co-chair Geoff Johns.
During TCA 2016, Slash Film caught up with the screenwriter to talk about Aquaman and some of his other projects. According to Will Beall, the movie will not depict just underwater action, but will also feature scenes on dry land:
I can tell you that not all of the action takes place underwater. Some of the most fun action in the movie actually takes place on dry land.
The LAPD-detective-turned-scribe also offered an update on the current status of the Aquaman script. Despite being actively involved as writer and executive producer with the in-production Training Day television series for CBS, Beall hasn't stopped working on the DC Extended Universe installment's screenplay yet. He stated, “Nope, I am still working on it with James [Wan] and Geoff [Johns].”
With Justice League currently in production, the interviewer asked whether any elements of Aquaman were in flux pending developments in the Zack Snyder venture. Here's how Beall responded:
No, no, they know what's happening. Everybody knows what's happening, so it's not that. It's working out what's going to make the best movie.
During the interview, Will Beall was asked about the recent report suggesting that Black Manta will be the lead supervillain in the July 27, 2018 release. Just like the Aquaman movie's director, the scribe avoided addressing the report.
They aren't going to confirm anything like that this early. But two actors, Michael K. Williams and Michael Jai White, have already expressed their willingness to portray the iconic supervillain. They didn't wait for an official confirmation on Black Manta's appearance in Aquaman!
