James Wan in talks to direct ‘Aquaman’

James Wan, 38, best known for his recent helming job on the hugely successful Furious 7 movie, is the frontrunner to direct Warner Bros.' Aquaman, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Wan has no offer at this stage but he is the studio's choice and some preliminary talks have taken place, said the entertainment news site.

Aquaman, the planned seventh film in the DC Cinematic Universe, was announced by the studio on October 15, 2014, with Jason Momoa confirmed as starring in the title role. The movie is scheduled for release on July 27, 2018. Warner Bros. had also already hired screenwriters Will Beall and Kurt Johnstad to pen two separate scripts, but with only the best version moving forward to production. 

Momoa, 35, as his Aquaman character is reportedly making a cameo appearance in the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. He also is expected to be a part of the lead cast in the two planned Justice League films.

Wan, though, could be called upon by Universal to make an eighth Fast & Furious film in light of the critical and commercial success garnered by his work on the Furious 7 movie, which has raked in $392.2 million in its first three days of release worldwide, the fourth-highest opening of all time, and has grossed over $800 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film of the year. Neal Moritz on April 8 in fact told The Hollywood Reporter that they would be meeting in a week's time to discuss the sequel to their blockbuster action thriller. While some believe that Wan will not return for the eighth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, Universal does hold his option and could exercise it according to the entertainment news site. 

Wan is also already in preparation for The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist, which is due to shoot this fall and which is announced for release to theaters on June 10, 2016. He also directed the 2013 original received very positive reviews and grossed over $300 million worldwide from its $20 million budget, making it one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time.