ICYMI: 'Aquaman' Spinoff Will Dive Into The Terrifying Depths Of The Trench!

Aquaman has made a serious splash in theaters. I was skeptical going in but was willing to ride this tidal wave knowing that James Wan was in the director’s chair. As a serious fan of the horror genre, Wan was the most valuable player several years in a row in that department. I mean, the guy started Saw and then created The Conjuring, so it is safe to say he knows what he is doing. But a superhero movie in a struggling cinematic universe was an odd choice, but he came in and brought his signature style that put Aquaman over the top as a great film as well as securing a solid payday at the box office. The horror moments that Wan introduces in the film have had a very long lasting effect, as they have inspired another tale to surface from the depths of the ocean kingdom.

One of the scariest parts of this badass underwater adventure is when Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Amber Heard’s Mera travel to a place called the Trench. It is one of the 7 kingdoms that formed when the megacity of Atlantis sunk into the ocean and the people spread out into 7 factions. The Trench is the name of the kingdom and its people. The citizens of The Trench have evolved into ravenous, amphibious beast-like creatures that cannot be reasoned with. They are hostile, dangerous, and downright terrifying. The film plays like a run-of-the-mill superhero flick until our heroes arrive at the Trench. The sequence seen in the film is something that feels like its straight out of one of Wan’s Conjuring films. It was one of the most talked-about points in the movie and definitely makes sense as to why it's getting its own terrifying spinoff. 

The film is officially in the early developmental stages. According to reports, this will be a completely stand-alone film, and none of the original cast from Aquaman will appear. It will also have a much smaller budget than most DC films. But James Wan will be producing it, so the lack of budget will not be an issue, as the filmmaker is known for exceeding expectation without breaking the bank -- just look at the budgets for The Conjuring and Saw. This horror-themed project will be set in the kingdom of the Trench. Newcomers Noah Gardener and Aidan Fitzgerald will pen the script, but Wan will be overseeing the project so their lack of experience shouldn't factor in much. Besides, it is not like the film and source material aren't enough to help secure what could be a solid new horror franchise set within the DCEU. 

This is a very exciting project that continues to showcase Warner Bros.'s continued dedication to making sure audiences get unique and innovative stories based on their favorite comic book properties. Shazam! looks to be a comedy in the spirit of Tom Hank's Big, and Wonder Woman has set the tone for female-driven superhero films. Joaquin Phoenix's stand-alone Joker film also promises to be a different take on a popular character, and Margot Robbie's Birds of Prey has had tongues wagging for weeks now. This new way of thinking towards spin-offs and sequels is really a breath of fresh air and could lead to some game-changing moves in the future when developing other new properties. Aquaman has opened the floodgates, and it will not be long before we are up to our knees in all kinds of new and exciting stories to be told on the silver screen. All we have to do first is survive the Trench...

(Image via Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment)

- D.J. Rivera, YH Contributing Writer