The Knockturnal
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Videos
  • Covers
  • Merch
EntertainmentFilmThe Latest

Jason Momoa & Cast Talk ‘Aquaman’

by Hershil Vora December 18, 2018
by Hershil Vora December 18, 2018 0 comments
1.7K

Check out our coverage on the “Aquaman” press conference in NYC!

Aquaman, the latest movie from DC is to be released later this month.  To kick off the release, Warner Bros. rented the second floor of the Four Seasons in downtown Manhattan to host a press conference with the cast and director.  The entire conference room was decorated with an underwater theme, showcasing props and costumes from the movie and even a booth that to put you right in the trailer!  The most striking piece they displayed was a life-like replica of Jason Momoa as Aquaman created by Madam Tussauds Orlando.  It was so striking, in fact, that Jason Momoa himself was taken aback in awe when he first entered the room!

The costumes for Jason Momoa's Aquaman(left) and Amber Heard's Mera (right)
Willem Dafoe as Vulko's costume!
The Madam Tussaund's Orlando's Aquaman wax sculpture surrounded by Atlantians
Nicole Kidman as Atlanna's costume

The panel consisted of  James Wan (director), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Amber Heard (Mera), and Patrick Wilson (Orm).  Check out their thoughts and experiences on filming and creating “Aquaman”!

Q: How cool was it, Jason, seeing yourself for the first time in the costume?

Jason Momoa: My first experience wearing the suit was really beautiful.  I’ve actually never told James this, but I put it on and I didn’t have a mirror in wardrobe. I put it on and I come out of wardrobe and I get to see his face, and he’s always passionate and he always lets you know right away, but the absolute joy – he looked like a kid when he beamed.  He just looked like “I did it, he looks amazing!” He was super proud.  He didn’t say anything but I could see it on his face.  It was a really beautiful moment.  The second moment was when I FaceTimed my kids– and I took a picture of it too- but their eyes were just blown away!  So those are my two first experiences putting it on.

Q: So Jason, what I love about this character is that he is from two worlds, and you are from two worlds; you were born in Hawaii and grew up in Iowa. How personal was it to play this character?

Jason Momoa: I mean, we’re actors, so it’s not really necessary. To play Drogo (Game of Thrones), I don’t have to go through what Drogo did to become him. But the cool thing is just being able to relate as someone who is half truly two different cultures and each one of those cultures not knowing about the other one. Hawaii definitely doesn’t know anything about Iowa and Iowa doesn’t know anything about Hawaii, so that was something I could draw upon. You know, the other thing that helped me out a lot was being raised by a single parent.  I just had me and my mother my whole life, which I could play for me and my father being that close and then running very far away, and then coming back to my roots.  That’s definitely a relatable thing.

Q: Amber, Mera is incredibly fierce and a total badass. What are you most proud of in terms of this character in the way she was written and the way you portrayed her?

Amber Heard: Well, I feel really lucky to have worked with filmmakers and people who wanted to maintain the integrity of the strength of the original character. Mera is and never wasn’t anything other than a badass and a superhero in her own right.  She is no damsel in distress. I’m lucky that I worked with people that wanted to maintain that integrity instead of compromising all of those aspects of strength, integrity, individuality, and agency, for palatability and sexuality and other things that can sometimes take the place of those aspects which are far more interesting to me. Mera is a kickass, badass woman and doesn’t need any help from anyone and I feel really lucky I get to play her.

Q: Patrick, what I love about Orm is the complexity of his character. This is a guy that’s a bit maniacal, a bit power hungry, but he also, sort of, has a point. Your destroying the oceans, stop doing that! What was it like playing both sides of that? Do you feel like he is one over the other or is he a little bit of both?

Patrick Wilson: Well, his fight is perfectly understandable. There is a long history of Aquaman fighting whales and saving fishermen all throughout comic history. I like that they left the pollution up to Orm because it enables you to have a real violent response. I think there is something sort of cathartic in an audience watching that. I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t think we were destroying the oceans, of course, we are and of course, it’s something we all need to take heed and to watch.  Not that that’s the main theme of the story, but certainly that’s Orm’s track when he sets out to combine his armies to take on the surface.  Everybody goes “yeah, I get that.” So it’s a fun way in because then you’ve got conflict. Then you sort of wonder; he’s the little brother of an older brother he’s never had and he knows deep down he is the first born, and there’s all of that very Shakespearian complex emotions that he’s dealing with.  But you start him from a very organic place, then you can go as big as you want, which we do.

Q: For James, what was the first moment you really felt like Aquaman, and for James, why Jason as Aquaman?

Jason Momoa: I definitely feel that it was in “Justice League” where I’m sitting in a bat-mobile, sitting there staring at Affleck and Wonder Woman and I’m like, “I’m… Sitting…On a bat-mobile. THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!” And my kids were looking at me the same way too, so that definitely sunk in on “Justice League”.

James Wan: For me, what I think is so great about Jason playing this role ultimately is, he brings his personality to this character.  Not bringing him to Aquaman, but bring Aquaman to him, and that’s what I love most about it. I get to be the one to showcase the other side of Jason Momoa that not many people have seen; which is the fun side, the funny side of him, and I think, after the movie comes out, people are going to see how great a potential romantic lead he is as well. But I think that’s what’s great. Jason just comes in and he just makes a statement with this character, and I think that’s what this first movie really needs.

Q: What were the biggest challenges for the stunts and how did you prepare?

Amber Heard: I trained for a long time but I realized way too long into filming that I had been training for five to six months at this point and it’s the most covered I’ve ever been. He’s the one (Jason) who’s topless all the time. But I trained for a long time and with just how large the scale of the movie is requires so many different teams and participants. Sometimes we would be in the lunch tent and you’d look around and see four or five doubles of yourself that are required on various sets. It’s just so massive in scale to make a movie like this. I did work my ass off, but I am very thankful to the stunt team and the crew we had.

Patrick Wilson: Yeah the stunt team was absolutely unbelievable. Everything that we do in this movie, we were just pushed to the limits in every department.  So you had stunt guys that were saying “Wow, I’ve never been in four different types of harnesses in one day.” And you know when your stunt team, that, by the way, does superhero movies for a living- when they’re saying that, you know you’re in uncharted waters, forgive the pun. And I think we’re all like that. Jason’s done stunts his whole life here and his whole professional career.

Jason Momoa: This was the hardest to date.

Patrick Wilson: Yeah, the hardest to date, for everything. And I would even go a step further and say, at least in stunts, you’re talking about a matter of seconds in doing one specific action, thirty-forty times. What I found even stranger was for so much of our stuff, you have to hang in wires or different harnesses or devices for minutes at a time, just to talk and try to make it seem effortless, like you’re floating in space. That weirdly took its toll even more so to me because it was just a constant state of dangling. It’s a very weird thing.

Jason Momoa: I was like “I don’t want to get back in, watch this.  See I can do the whole scene close up!” You just have to learn how to cry, “ *sobbing* I don’t want to go! Don’t put me back up there!”

Amber Heard: He would literally be like “Put me down! Put me down!”

Q: I know that you’ve probably done other movies where you had to work with water before, but so much of this movie had water effects. I was wondering, as a director, what were the difficulties that you ran into in this movie that you haven’t done on a different set?

James Wan: Well, you hear it all the time from filmmakers that make movies with water.  It’s not the most pleasant thing. It’s uncomfortable and really just slows down the whole filmmaking process. The irony is, any of the stuff that is fully submerged underwater, anything that is in the sort of underwater world, that was actually shot dry for wet. That’s literally what it sounds like, where you use the process of dry for wet, which is where we shoot, as these actors have said, in these rigs that simulate swimming and floating. But, we did play with a lot of water as well. I don’t think you can make an Aquaman movie and actually not have anyone get wet. And again, the irony is, when we are actually above the water, that’s when we have to drench the actors because when they are actually out of the water, that’s when they are dripping water. But when you’re underwater, the irony is, people actually look dry, so that’s why we shot it without water. But, I would say that the biggest water set that we had in this film was the submarine sequence at the start of the film; that was a huge set piece.  We built the submarine over a water tank that we would just submerge again and again and again. We would play out the scene, we would submerge it, and then we would bring it back out of the water tank, blow dry it down, and then do take 2 and then take 3 and so on.  It was quite a laborious process and yeah, it’s a bit of a pain.

Aquaman comes out in theaters December 21st, check out the trailer below!

Amber HeardaquamanJames WanJason Momoa
0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Hershil Vora

previous post
Concert Review: Doe Paoro Headlines Rough Trade [Photos]
next post
Exclusive: Todd McFarlane Talks ‘Venom’ and His Directorial Debut With Upcoming Film ‘Spawn’

Related Posts

Renowned Restaurant Fresco by Scotto Debuts a New...

October 22, 2025

Cedric the Entertainer Reflects on The Neighborhood’s Final...

October 22, 2025

Bernadette Peters, Sutton Foster & Leslie Odom Jr....

October 22, 2025

James Callis, Shaul Metzstein & Nick Mohammed Talks...

October 21, 2025

AIF 2025 Festival Opens with Mamoru Hosoda’s Scarlet

October 21, 2025

Techno and Tragedy in Oliver Laxe’s Sirat

October 21, 2025

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Joel Kim Booster Talk...

October 20, 2025

NMIXX Explores All ‘Shapes of Love’ in Their...

October 20, 2025

LA Premiere: HBO’s The Chair Company 

October 19, 2025

A Toast to Ja Rule’s Amber &Opal Whiskey...

October 19, 2025

Digital Cover No. 19

The Knockturnal Merch

Follow Us On The Gram

theknockturnal

Lifestyle. Music. Entertainment.
Info@theknockturnal.com
New Cover Out Now ⬇️

Step inside the chaotic world of The Chair Company Step inside the chaotic world of The Chair Company, where office life meets absurd comedy. 🪑 
Stream it now on @HBO. 

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/la-premiere-hbos-the-chair-company/

✍️: Katherine Wright
-
#TheChairCompany #HBO #HBOOriginal #HBOShow #BingeWorthy #MustWatch #StreamingNow
@justinbieber led @skylrk to a standout win at The @justinbieber led @skylrk to a standout win at The Leag, one of LA’s most talked-about underground sports events. With celebrities, athletes, and creators filling the sidelines, the night captured the energy of competition and culture colliding under the lights. 🏀

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/justin-bieber-leads-skylrk-to-victory-at-las-underground-sports-phenomenon-the-league/

✍️: Parris Rose

-
#JustinBieber #SKYLRK #TheLeag #LosAngeles #SportsCulture #Basketball #UndergroundSports
@nmixx_official spoke with The Knockturnal about t @nmixx_official spoke with The Knockturnal about their journey as six members, a long, inspiring adventure that’s led them to a major milestone: their first-ever full-length album, Blue Valentine. 💙

The project dives deep into the complexity of human emotions, wrapped in NMIXX’s signature MIXX-pop sound. 🎶

“The story of NMIXX is still unfolding.” 

Full Article 🔗 https://theknockturnal.com/nmixx-blue-valentine/

By @EmmaSalehi 

#NMIXX #BlueValentine #NMIXXBlueValentine #MIXXPOP #NMIXXComeback #KpopInterview #TheKnockturnal #Kpop #KpopNews #KpopGirlGroup #NMIXX_BlueValentine #HAEWON #LILY #BAE #JIWOO #KYUJIN #SULLYOON #엔믹스
Want to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Want to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of @beetlejuicebway? Now you can! From now until Halloween, @tempotimessquare hosting an unforgettable Beetlejuice Suite experience where every corner is bursting with spooky charm, strange surprises, and a whole lot of Netherworld flair. 💀✨ 

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just a little strange and unusual, this is your chance to step into the world of the ghost with the most. 👻 #BeetlejuiceBroadway #TempoTimesSquare #BeetlejuiceSuite
#ParkChanWook new film might make you laugh when y #ParkChanWook new film might make you laugh when you least expect it — and flinch when you do. 👀💥

Full review out now.

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/park-chan-wooks-no-other-choice-is-dark-gripping-and-bitingly-funny/

✍️: Ishan Wankavala 

-
#NoOtherChoice #KoreanCinema #Cinephile #FilmReview #NewRelease #MustWatch
📸 WOODZ (@woodz_dnwm) — the artist redefining 📸 WOODZ (@woodz_dnwm) — the artist redefining boundaries with each track, image, and evolution. Dive into our exclusive to uncover the artistry behind the name. 

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/woodz/

✍️: Emma Salehi

-
#Woodz #Kpop #ArtistSpotlight #Editorial
EXCLUSIVE: STAYC take the Stay Tuned tour to elect EXCLUSIVE: STAYC take the Stay Tuned tour to electrifying new heights, bringing “I WANT IT” to life with unmatched energy, confidence, and flair. Every beat, every move, every note is a reminder that STAYC don’t just perform—they command the stage. 🌈💥

From their glowing visuals to powerhouse vocals, @stayc_highup deliver a night that’s equal parts spectacle and soul.

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/stayc/

✍️: Emma Salehi

-
#STAYC #StayTunedTour #IWANTIT #STAYCgirls #STAYChighup #Kpop #ConcertHighlights #ExclusiveFeature
Park Chan-wook shares how The Ax inspired his new Park Chan-wook shares how The Ax inspired his new film, exploring its unique darkness. 🌟

#ParkChanWook #NoOtherChoice #TheAx #KoreanFilm #KDrama #NYFF #NYFF26
Big sci-fi dreams ahead 🔥🤖Park Chan-wook tea Big sci-fi dreams ahead 🔥🤖Park Chan-wook teases his probable upcoming project Genocidal Organ! 

#ParkChanWook #GenocidalOrgan #NYFF #NYFF26
Dark humor and deep tragedy with @byunghun0712 in Dark humor and deep tragedy with @byunghun0712 in his latest film @nootherchoicefilm. 🖤🎬

#LeeByungHun #NoOtherChoice #KDrama #NYFF #NYFF26
Two worlds, one screen 🌏🎥 Lee Byung-hun refl Two worlds, one screen 🌏🎥 Lee Byung-hun reflects on 20 years of film, from South Korea to Hollywood! 

#LeeByungHun #Hollywood #KoreanCinema #Film #NoOtherChoice #NYFF26 #NYFF
Brighter days ahead 🌞 @cix.official share what Brighter days ahead 🌞 @cix.official share what it means to move forward together in their latest comeback. 

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/cix/

✍️: Emma Salehi

Photo Credits: C9 Entertainment 
-
#CIX #GOChapter1 #GOTogether #TheKnockturnal #KpopInterview #KpopNews #CIXComeback #CIX2025 #KpopFeature #CIXFans
It’s going down! @stayc_highup is in North Ameri It’s going down! @stayc_highup is in North America on their ‘Stay Tuned’ tour! 💖

Watch their energetic and fun filled show near you 👀🌟

#stayc #kpop #kpopconcert #iwantit #staycstaytuned #staytuned
Who runs the world? Girls! 🩷 We had the most a Who runs the world? Girls! 🩷

We had the most amazing day of inspiring panels, activations and networking at @femalefounderworld, with @eyebuydirect! 👓
Eskil Vogt reunites with longtime collaborator Joa Eskil Vogt reunites with longtime collaborator Joachim Trier for their sixth cinematic journey, co-writing Sentimental Value, a poignant exploration of family, memory, and reconciliation. 

-
#Screenwriting #Storytelling #WritingForFilm #FilmWriting #NYFF2025 #NewYorkFilmFestival #IndieFilm
At @thenyff , @renatereinsve brings Nora Borg to l At @thenyff , @renatereinsve brings Nora Borg to life in Sentimental Value, portraying a character whose journey through family complexities and personal discovery resonates deeply. 

-
#RenateReinsve #NYFF #SentimentalValue #NoraBorg #FilmFestival #Actress
@nobledanceroslo at @thenyff shares his vision as @nobledanceroslo at @thenyff shares his vision as a director, bringing his story to life with precision, collaboration, and attention to every frame. 

The film reflects his dedication to emotion, storytelling, and cinematic craft. 🎥

-
#JoachimTrimmer #NYFF #NewYorkFilmFestival #FilmFestival #Director #Filmmaking
We spoke with @ingalilleaas at @thenyff about the We spoke with @ingalilleaas at @thenyff about the emotional process behind her latest film. ✨

-
#IngaIbsdotterLilleaas #NYFF #NewYorkFilmFestival #FilmFestival #Cinema
Poised, perceptive, and endlessly compelling — @ Poised, perceptive, and endlessly compelling — @ellefanning in conversation at this year’s @thenyff.

-
#ElleFanning #NYFF #NewYorkFilmFestival #FilmFestival #RedCarpet #Cinema
✨ From powerful panels to unforgettable performa ✨ From powerful panels to unforgettable performances, the 2025 #TeenVogueSummit brought together voices shaping fashion, culture, and activism today. 💬🎶

🔗: https://theknockturnal.com/2025-teen-vogue-summit-recap-full-of-fun-fashion-and-connection/

✍️: Zipporah Pruitt

-
#TeenVogue #TeenVogueSummit2025 #TeenVogueEvents
#TeenVogueCommunity #TeenVogueStyle
Follow on Instagram

About The Site

We are a collective of creative tastemakers made up of fashion, music and entertainment industry insiders. It’s all about access. You want it. We have it.

Terms Of Use

Privacy Policy

Meet The Team

CONTACT US

For general inquiries and more info on The Knockturnal, please contact our staff at:
info@theknockturnal.com
fashion@theknockturnal.com
advertising@theknockturnal.com
editorial@theknockturnal.com
beauty@theknockturnal.com

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube

© Copyright - The Knockturnal | Developed by CI Design + Media

The Knockturnal
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Videos
  • Covers
  • Merch