James Wan set to direct ‘Aquaman’

James Wan will spearhead “Aquaman” — presumably with a shiny gold trident.

The “Furious 7” filmmaker is set to direct Warner Bros.’ superhero movie starring Jason Momoa as the oceanic DC Comics character, the studio announced Wednesday. Wan will also oversee development of the script, which is being written by Kurt Johnstad (“300” and its sequel “300: Rise of an Empire”).

Scheduled for release in 2018, “Aquaman” is to tell the story of the reluctant ruler of Atlantis, caught between a surface world that constantly ravages the sea and his own people who are looking to lash out in revolt.

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Wan, 38, first made a name for himself directing lucrative low-budget horror flicks like “Saw,” “Insidious” and “The Conjuring.” He graduated to major action movies with “Furious 7,” during which he handled the accidental death of Paul Walker in an off-set crash with commendable grace. The movie has been a massive commercial hit, to the tune of $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office.

In the Warner Bros. announcement, Greg Silverman, president of creative development and worldwide production, said, “The ‘Aquaman’ film will be a major tentpole picture for us and James’ span of work has proven him able to take on any manner of project, bringing his incredible creative talent and unique voice to the material.”

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