Los Angeles, Dec 13 (IANS): Actor Patrick Wilson has been roped in to play Orm, the evil half-brother of Aquaman, in the upcoming adaptation of the popular comic starring Jason Momoa in the title role.

Amber Heard also stars in the film as Mera, Aquaman's love interest. 

In the comics, Orm, also called Ocean Master, is Aquaman's human half-brother and a rival for the throne of Atlantis. He wreaks havoc on the high seas, causing trouble on a regular basis for the underwater superhero, reports variety.com.

The film will be directed by James Wan.

Warner Bros, which is backing the project, said last year that the title character would be caught between a surface world constantly ravaging the sea and the undersea Atlanteans, who are ready to lash out in revolt. 

"Aquaman" is based on the DC Comics character who is the king of Atlantis, a half-human and half-Atlantean named Arthur Curry. He was first introduced in the early 1940s.

The film is set to release on October 5, 2018.