In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Wan lamented the difficulties of dedicating himself to verisimilitude when it comes to underwater scenes.
"It's a very technically challenging shoot to be on," the director explained to THR. "Working with water, and even the dry-for-wet sequences are very complex. ... Our equivalent of two people sitting around chatting in the underwater world is super complicated. You have to think about CG with the hair, and how their clothing moves, how are they floating, what kind of rig we put them on and all that stuff. "
Using practical effects -- a.k.a., eschewing CGI as much as possible -- has become popular once again in Hollywood, with "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" standing as the most famous recent example of the revived trend. Wan believes that that type of effect will make his film better, and as he tells THR, he believes all the hard work -- and from the sound of it, frustration -- will be worth it once audiences see the finished product.
" ... [It's] very difficult and time-sucking and time-challenging to do all of this," the director told the trade. "So it's not an easy shoot — but hopefully it will pay off in spades down the line."
Fans can judge for themselves when "Aquaman" hits theaters on December 21, 2018.
[via: The Hollywood Reporter]