After the billion-dollar box office success of James Wan’s Aquaman, it only figures that Warner Bros. is looking to further flesh out this crazy little corner of the DCEU. Nonetheless, it may come as a surprise to hear that the studio is currently at work on a spinoff project titled The Trench that’s centered on the amphibious creatures of the same name.
THR reports that writers Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald have been hired to pen a “horror-tinged script” focused on the monsters that attacked Arthur Curry and Mera in last year’s release. While details remain vague, it’s said that the project will be set in the kingdom of the Trench, will not feature the main cast of Aquaman, and will be produced by Wan and his regular collaborator Peter Safran. The report doesn’t specify whether this will be a work for the big or small screen, though it does mention that The Trench will be “much more modestly budgeted” than your average DC flick.
Wan has previously gone on record saying that he initially pitched Aquaman as a “horror monster movie,” and while you could argue that the eventual film doesn’t exactly fit this description, a whole spinoff centered on the Trench certainly sounds like it could bridge the gap between Wan’s horror leanings and his more recent blockbuster work.
In any case, as things move forward with the Aquaman spinoff, we can also expect Warner to follow through on their plans for a proper sequel. Last month, it was reported that the studio is keen to get Wan back to direct Aquaman 2 after the phenomenal box office performance of the first movie, and while the Conjuring helmsman is apparently waiting to see a script before he agrees to the gig, his involvement in The Trench at least ensures he’ll be staying in the DCEU’s orbit for some time.