Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: UK cinema release date, trailer, cast - does Amber Heard return as Mera?

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, sequel to Aquaman and the 16th entry into the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is heading to UK cinemas this weekend. The first film, released in 2018, remains the most successful DCEU movie to date, having made $1.1 billion worldwide, but the sequel has been beset by production issues.

The film’s production and release schedule was thrown out of whack by the Covid pandemic, with the movie coming a year later than originally planned. Additionally, due to controversy over Amber Heard, one of the film’s stars, it is believed that many of her scenes have been cut from the finished film.

Heard was accused by her ex-husband Johnny Depp of defamation over an article she wrote for The Washington Post, in which she discussed domestic violence. Heard lost the case and was ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages, and a campaign to have her axed from the Aquaman sequel pushed Warner Bros to minimise her involvement in the project.

The Lost Kingdom finds Aquaman balancing his duties as king of Atlantis and a member of the Justice League with the pressures of planning a wedding. At the same time Black Manta is searching for Atlantean tech to help rebuild his suit, and Orm is plotting to escape his aquatic prison cell.

Is there a trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom?

Yes there is, and you can watch it right here:

Who is in the cast of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom?

• Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman
• Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne
• Patrick Wilson as King Orm
• Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David Kane
• Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus
• Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry
• Nicole Kidman as Atlanna
• Jani Zhao as Stingray
• Amber Heard as Mera
• Vincent Regan as Atlan
• Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin

Is Amber Heard in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom?

Yes, despite a petition for her to be removed from the film, Heard is still in the cast in the supporting role of Princess Mera, Aquaman’s love interest. However, she has been subtly removed from the promotional material for the movie - she is absent from the posters and appears in the trailer for less than a second.

It is also rumoured that Heard’s screen time has been cut to as little as eight minutes, although a conservative estimate puts her at around 25 minutes in the two-hour movie. Heard was paid an estimated $2 million for her role in the sequel, double her fee for the first movie.

When is the release date of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom?

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be released in the UK in cinemas on Friday December 22. It is not currently available to stream in the UK, and no streaming release date has been confirmed. It will be released on HBO Max in the US.

Where can you watch Aquaman 1?

You can watch the first Aquaman film in the UK by renting or buying the movie from Amazon, Apple TV+, or the Sky Store. Justice League, which introduces Momoa’s Aquaman, is available to rent or buy from the same platforms.