From desert to ocean: 'Aquaman' gets the 'Mad Max: Fury Road' stunt team

By Rick Marshall January 2, 2017

aquaman — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero universe has had some difficulty winning over critics and audiences to the same degree as Marvel Studios’ cinematic endeavors, but the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad studio is apparently looking in the right places for help with some of its upcoming projects.

An Australian television news network reports that one of the primary stunt teams for Mad Max: Fury Road has been hired to work on WB’s upcoming Aquaman movie, set to be directed by Furious 7 filmmaker James Wan. The television news report features some footage of stunt coordinator Keir Beck and his team practicing for the project, which began pre-production in Queensland, Australia, in November and is expected to begin filming sometime in 2017.

Indicating that his team will contribute “general stunt skills and fighting,” Beck told Australia’s 9 News that “if there is water sequences, obviously being capable and competent in water” will be a requirement, too. That last part seems like a pretty good bet, given that the film focuses on DC Comics’ aquatic hero.

Although the Academy Awards have yet to add a category for stunt choreography — much to the annoyance of stunt performers — Beck’s team shared a Screen Actors Guild Award last year for stunt work in Mad Max: Fury Road, a movie that was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won in six categories. Beck served as a stunt coordinator or assistant stunt coordinator on multiple films over the years, including 2016’s war drama Hacksaw Ridge and noir comedy The Nice Guys.

Directed by Wan from a script created by Wan, Will Beall, and Geoff Johns, Aquaman casts Game of Thrones actor Jason Momoa as the titular, sea-dwelling superhero. The film is reportedly set after the events of the upcoming Justice League movie that will bring together many of the studio’s live-action DC Comics superheroes and will also feature Watchmen and The Conjuring actor Patrick Wilson as Orm, Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, Platoon) as Vulko, and Amber Heard (Machete Kills, The Ward) as Mera.

Aquaman is scheduled to hit theaters October 5, 2018.

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