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Peter Jackson Says He Turned Down Directing 'Aquaman' Twice

By Hannah Wigandt

Premiere Of New Line Cinema, MGM Pictures And Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Hobbit: The Battle Of The
Premiere Of New Line Cinema, MGM Pictures And Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Hobbit: The Battle Of The / Kevin Winter

Warner Bros. apparently wanted acclaimed Peter Jackson, famous for directing The Lord of the Rings series, to helm Aquaman so badly they asked him more than once. Eventually, after Jackson denied the role two times, James Wan was chosen for the job, who successfully made the film a blockbuster hit.

Jackson recently recalled to Empire, "[Former Warner Bros CEO Kevin Tsujihara] said, 'Are you a fan of Aquaman?' I said, 'No.' Six months later: 'Peter, are you a fan of Aquaman?' I said, 'No, Kevin, I already told you this.'"

Explaining why he was so adamant on not taking on the King of the Seven Seas' story, Jackson continued, "I’m not a superhero guy. I read Tintin… Look, films are hard. I only want to make something that I have a deep passion for."

In recent years, Jackson has stepped away from huge blockbuster films like The Hobbit series, and has instead focused on documentaries, such as 2018's They Shall Not Grow Old, and his upcoming doc about The Beatles.

“I don’t really anticipate making another theatrical film for a year or two,” Jackson added.

Aquaman did well enough without Jackson's help, bringing in over $1 billion worldwide and becoming one of the most successful DC films of all time. Its sequel is slated for a Dec. 16, 2022 release.

[h/t: ComicBook.com]