First Look at the Fisherman King and Royal Family of Aquaman

The Atlantis of Aquaman is shaping up to be incredibly elegant. The underwater world is materializing and looks dreamy. Today, EW premiered the first look at the Fisherman King (Djimon Hounsou) in full glory. Most importantly this is our best glimpse yet at the film’s stunning effects. The way director James Wan handles the aquatic scenes will be key to Aquaman‘s action and this image looks very promising.

Legend has it that when Atlantis first sank into the ocean, the kingdom split into seven rival civilizations. The society that the Fisherman King presides over is more enlightened than most of the others. “After the fall of Atlantis, some of the kingdoms evolved and some devolved,” producer Peter Safran told EW. “This is one that evolved. This is a kingdom that’s primarily artistic and cerebral, with poets and philosophers.”

That is certainly apparent in the psychedelic surroundings. Overgrown seaweed and intimidating plant life is very specific to this realm and it looks like they might even use their natural surroundings in palace design. The production design makes Atlantis look like an enticing place to dive. The image captures the moment King Orm (Patrick Wilson) asks the Fisherman King to help defeat the surface-dwellers that have ravaged the ocean. It is difficult to read their fish faces to know if they agree or not. Armed with that armor and trident, the Fisherman King is not someone you would want to count as an enemy.

The costumes are really beginning to pop. The Fisherman King’s is incredibly intricate and we see more of that Atlanteans gold being flashed around.  Most interestingly, the Fisherman King, along with the Queen (Natalia Safran), Princess (Sophia Forrest), and bodyguard that also appear in the image, look like actual fish. This is a stark contrast to the style we have seen for Aquaman, Mera, and Orm who have more human features.

Aquaman swims into theaters on December 21.

Featured Image: Jason Momoa as Aquaman. Courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures