Shazam! | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | David F. Sandberg |
Screenplay by | Henry Gayden |
Story by |
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Based on | Characters from DC |
Produced by | Peter Safran |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Maxime Alexandre |
Edited by | Michel Aller |
Music by | Benjamin Wallfisch |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 132 minutes [3] |
Country |
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Language | English |
Budget | $90–100 million [5] [6] |
Box office | $367.8 million [7] |
Shazam! is a 2019 American superhero comedy film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, the Safran Company, and Seven Bucks Productions, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the seventh installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). It was directed by David F. Sandberg from a screenplay by Henry Gayden who co-wrote the story with Darren Lemke, and stars Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Djimon Hounsou. The film follows teenager Billy Batson (Angel) as he is chosen by the ancient wizard Shazam (Hounsou) to be his new champion by saying the name "Shazam", allowing him to transform into an adult superhero (Levi) with various superpowers. Billy and his foster brother Freddy Freeman (Grazer) must discover Billy's new powers in order to stop the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong) and the Seven Deadly Sins.
Development of a live-action Shazam! film began at New Line in the early 2000s, but was delayed for several years. The film went into pre-production in 2009, with Peter Segal as director, John August as writer and Dwayne Johnson being considered to star as the villain Black Adam, but the project fell through; Johnson acts as an executive producer on Shazam! William Goldman, Alec Sokolow, Joel Cohen, Bill Birch, and Geoff Johns, among others, were all attached to the project as writers at various points. The film was officially announced in 2014, with Johnson attached to star as either Shazam or Black Adam. In January 2017, he was cast to lead a solo Black Adam development project. Sandberg signed on to direct Shazam! in February 2017, and Levi was cast that October, with Angel joining the following month. Principal photography began in Toronto on January 29, 2018, with most of the film shot at Pinewood Toronto Studios, and wrapped on May 11.
Shazam! was released in the United States on April 5, 2019. The film was a box office success, grossing over $367 million worldwide, and received positive reviews from critics, who praised Sandberg's direction and the performances of Levi, Angel and Grazer, as well as its generally light tone and sense of fun. It was followed by the spin-off film Black Adam (2022) and a sequel titled Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), both of which failed to meet the critical and financial success of the first film.
In 1974 in Upstate New York, young Thaddeus Sivana is riding in a car with his abusive father and elder brother Sid during a snowstorm, and is mocked and verbally harassed by them constantly. He is suddenly transported to the Rock of Eternity, a mystic temple located in another dimension. There, he meets an ancient wizard named Shazam, who has spent centuries searching for someone pure of heart upon whom to bestow his powers and name as champion after his previous one [lower-alpha 1] released the Seven Deadly Sins. Thaddeus is tempted by the Sins, who promise him power if he frees them. The wizard deems him unworthy and magically returns him to the car. Thaddeus's frustration and confusion leads to a vehicular accident, resulting in his father becoming paralyzed from the waist down and even more resentful towards him. The Sins send Thaddeus a message via his 8-Ball toy, telling him to find them.
In present-day Fawcett City, Philadelphia, 14-year-old foster child Billy Batson continually runs away from foster homes to search for his birth mother, whom he’s been seeking ever since being separated from her at a carnival ten years ago. He locks some police officers in a store to use their computer to try to locate his mother, but is unsuccessful. Billy is placed in a group home run by Víctor and Rosa Vásquez with five other foster children: "den mother" Mary Bromfield, shy Pedro Peña, obsessive gamer Eugene Choi, energetic Darla Dudley, and superhero enthusiast Freddy Freeman. Elsewhere, an embittered Sivana succeeds in his lifelong quest to return to the Rock of Eternity. Sivana becomes the Sins' vessel when the Eye fuses itself with his body and overpowers the wizard. He promptly uses his newfound powers to kill his father, Sid, and the members of Sivana Industries' board of directors.
Billy defends Freddy from bullies at school and is chased into a subway car, where he is transported to the Rock of Eternity. The wizard chooses him to be his new champion; by saying the name "Shazam," Billy transforms into an adult superhero. The wizard seemingly dies and leaves his magical staff behind. Freddy is taken into Billy's confidence and helps him explore his newfound powers, which include superhuman strength, near-invulnerability, and electrokinesis. By saying "Shazam" again, he can transform back into his normal body. Freddy posts viral videos of the new superhero, and Billy starts skipping school to use his powers to busk for money and fame. He gets into an argument with Freddy after accidentally endangering, then saving a bus full of people. Sivana arrives and demands that Billy surrender his powers. Billy discovers he can fly and escapes. He learns his biological mother's location and visits her, only to be heartbroken upon learning she abandoned him at the carnival on purpose after feeling inadequate as a young mother and no longer wanting him in her life.
Sivana deduces Billy's identity and takes his foster siblings hostage. Billy agrees to transfer his powers to him in exchange for their safety. They go to the Rock of Eternity to use the wizard's staff to effect the transfer, but the children attack Sivana. Billy observes that Sivana becomes vulnerable when all seven Sins leave his body. Sivana pursues them to a winter carnival and unleashes the Sins upon the crowd. Remembering the wizard's words, Billy uses the staff to share his powers with his foster siblings, transforming them into adult superheroes like him before he breaks the staff.
The Shazam Family battles against the Sins while Billy faces down Sivana. He goads Envy into leaving Sivana vulnerable and recaptures the Sins after forcefully pulling the Eye out of Sivana's head. Billy and his foster siblings are hailed as heroes. They return the Sins to their prison and realize they can use the Rock of Eternity as their superhero headquarters. Billy finally accepts his foster parents and siblings as his "real" family. In his superhero form, he has lunch with his siblings at school, revealing to Freddy's surprise that he has also invited Superman.
In a mid-credits scene, the imprisoned Sivana is approached by a talking caterpillar [lower-alpha 2] who proposes an alliance. The post-credits scene features a silly banter between Shazam and Freddy.
The film also features John Glover as Thaddeus Sivana's estranged father and CEO of Sivana Industries. [16] Glover had starred in other DC Comics series and films: Batman: The Animated Series , The New Batman Adventures , and Superman: The Animated Series as The Riddler; Dr. Jason Woodrue in the 1997 film Batman and Robin ; and Lionel Luthor in Smallville . Natalia Safran was cast as Thaddeus' mother, though her scenes were cut from the film. Caroline Palmer portrays Marilyn Batson, Billy's biological mother. Wayne Ward and Landon Doak portray Sid Sivana, Thaddeus' bullying brother as an adult and a teenager, respectively. Carson MacCormac and Evan Marsh portray Brett and Burke Breyer, bullies at the children's school. [17]
Director David F. Sandberg makes cameo appearances performing as each of the three Crocodile-Men (collaboratively assisted by Steve Newburn and Ned Morill), and provides the voice of the alien lifeform Mister Mind during a mid-credits sequence. [18] Sandberg's wife, actress Lotta Losten, portrays Dr. Lynn Crosby; a researcher working with Dr. Sivana, who is killed by him. [19] [ unreliable source ] Sound designer Bill R. Dean has an uncredited cameo, providing the voice for a Batman toy, [20] while Ryan Hadley, Zachary Levi's stunt double, appears uncredited as a stand-in body double for Superman. Hadley's appearance is a silent cameo, where the character is only seen from the neck down, due to Henry Cavill being unavailable to film the scene. [21] Executive producer Dwayne Johnson's likeness is used for the mystically generated holograph of Teth-Adam, which the wizard Shazam conjures while teaching Billy the history of the Rock of Eternity, the Seven Realms of Magic, and his previous Champion. [22] Johnson portrayed the titular role in Black Adam . [23]
The Seven Deadly Sins – a supernatural team of villains consisting of the demons Pride, Envy, Greed, Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, and Sloth – were portrayed by stunt doubles in motion capture suits on-set during filming, and depicted on-screen through CGI special effects. [24] Their voices were collectively provided by actors Steve Blum, Darin De Paul, and Fred Tatasciore; [25] Tatasciore previously voiced the Seven Sins in the direct-to-video Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Super-Villain High . In an Easter egg appearance, Andi Osho reprises her role as social worker Emma Glover from Sandberg's debut film Lights Out . [26] [27]
New Line Cinema began development of a Shazam! live-action feature film in the early 2000s, with multiple screenplay drafts, by William Goldman, the team of Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen, Bryan Goluboff, and John August. The version of the Shazam! script written by August, which went into pre-production in 2008, was an action-comedy which focused on the origin story of the hero, then known by his original name of Captain Marvel, and his young alter ego, Billy Batson. [28] Peter Segal was attached as director [29] and Dwayne Johnson was in talks to appear as the film's villain, Black Adam. [28]
New Line Cinema was absorbed into Warner Bros., a larger film studio also owned at the time by Time Warner, [30] during the course of development. [28] Following the success of Warner's Batman film The Dark Knight and the commercial failure of its lighter, family-friendly Speed Racer , both during the summer of 2008, [28] August departed from the project, citing pressure from the studio to make the screenplay darker and more serious. [31] In August 2009, Bill Birch and Geoff Johns, a prominent DC Comics writer, were assigned to write the screenplay, while Segal remained attached as director. [32] In August 2010, the studio considered canceling the theatrical film in favor of a live-action series for prime time network television. [33] In December 2013, Segal stated that the film would not be happening, as the similarities between Captain Marvel and Superman had become an obstacle after the successful launch of Man of Steel earlier that year. [34]
While the film was in development limbo, DC Comics rebooted the comic book franchise as part of their New 52 relaunch in 2012. Due to the trademark conflicts with Marvel Comics, who owned the trademark for "Captain Marvel" for use with their own character of the same name, [35] DC renamed their Captain Marvel superhero character "Shazam" at this time when the New 52 started. [36] DC had been required to market and promote the character using the trademark Shazam!, since acquiring the publishing rights from Fawcett Comics in 1972. [37] Captain Marvel had originated at Fawcett in 1939, but fell into limbo after 1953 following a long legal battle with DC over Captain Marvel's similarities to Superman. [38]
In April 2014, Warner Bros. revealed their upcoming slate of films based on DC Comics properties: Shazam!, Metal Men , Fables , and 100 Bullets . [39] The Shazam! film was tentatively set for release in July 2016. [40] Dwayne Johnson stated he would be starring in Shazam! that August, but was undecided between portraying Shazam or Black Adam. [41] In September, Johnson was cast as Black Adam, while Darren Lemke was set to write the script. [23] In January 2017, Henry Gayden was hired to rewrite Lemke's script. [42] In February 2017, David F. Sandberg was in talks with the studio to direct Shazam!, [43] while Dwayne Johnson was set to star in a Black Adam solo film, as opposed to appearing as the villain in Shazam!, [44] while Doctor Sivana, another nemesis of Shazam, became the Shazam! film's main villain. [45] Sandberg was also approached to direct Venom for Sony Pictures, but Sandberg finally decided to direct Shazam! rather than Venom due to the former's crew consisting of several people Sandberg had worked with at New Line Cinema. [46]
By July 2017, the studio had begun active development on Shazam! and Sandberg was confirmed as director, with production to begin in early 2018. [47] Dwayne Johnson relayed that a different creative team was now involved than when he first signed on to the film. [48] After being cast as the lead, Zachary Levi stated in an interview, "the idea is that it's gonna feel like the movie Big , but with super powers," when was asked about the direction DC Films and New Line Cinema are going for with Shazam! [49] Warner Bros. stated that the film would be based on the 2012–2013 Shazam! backup feature from the Justice League comic book, by writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank, [50] which told a modernized version of Shazam's origin. [51]
In August 2017, director David F. Sandberg stated that the film would be the next to shoot in the DC universe, [52] [ unreliable source ] and by the end of the month, it had begun pre-production. [53] By October 2017, cinematographer Maxime Alexandre and production designer Jennifer Spence, who previously worked with Sandberg on Annabelle: Creation , were added to the production. [54] The next month, Aquaman stunt coordinator Kyle Gardiner was hired to work on the film's action sequences. [55] On January 12, 2018, the film's release date was announced as April 19, 2019, later moved to April 5. [56]
In August 2017, the casting process for Shazam and other characters had begun. Sandberg had stated in an interview that instead of de-aging an actor using special effects or computer-generated imagery, he would cast both a child actor and an adult actor for the role of the main character. [57] [ unreliable source ] Zachary Levi, John Cena, Zane Holtz, Jake McDorman, Derek Theler and Billy Magnussen all met with and/or auditioned for Sandberg for the role of Shazam. [58]
By October 2017, Levi was cast in the titular role. [59] Sandberg chose Levi out of 100 actors after seeing his audition (which was taped on his iPhone). [60] In November, Grace Fulton joined the cast as Mary Bromfield, one of Billy Batson's foster siblings. Fulton had previously worked with the same director on Annabelle: Creation. [61] Later that month, Mark Strong was in final negotiations to play Dr. Sivana. [45] Strong confirmed he would be playing the role by January 2018. [62] By November 2017, Asher Angel was cast as the titular hero's teenage originator Billy Batson. [63] In December, Jack Dylan Grazer was added as Freddy Freeman, Batson's best friend. [64] Later that month, Jovan Armand, Ian Chen, Faithe Herman, and Cooper Andrews were cast as Pedro Peña, Eugene Choi, and Darla Dudley, respectively, [65] with Andrews portraying Víctor Vásquez, one of Billy Batson's foster parents. [66]
By January 2018, Ron Cephas Jones entered talks to play the role of the wizard Shazam, who granted Batson his powers. [67] Later that month, Spanish actress Marta Milans joined the cast to play Rosa Vásquez, one of the foster parents at the home where Billy lives. [68] By the end of January 2018, actress Lotta Losten, the wife of director David F. Sandberg, revealed that she had a role in the film. [69] On April 23, 2018, Ross Butler was announced to have joined the cast. [70] By July, Djimon Hounsou had replaced Jones as Shazam, due to Jones having scheduling conflicts. [71] Henry Cavill was in talks to reprise his role as Superman from previous DCEU films for a cameo, but was unable to because of scheduling. [72]
Principal photography for Shazam! began in Toronto and Hamilton, [73] in Ontario, Canada on January 29, 2018, [74] under the working title Franklin, [75] and wrapped by mid-May 2018. [76] The film was set primarily in Philadelphia and is firmly established within the DCEU. [51] Most of the production was shot at Pinewood Toronto Studios, and also several public locations around the city, including the University of Toronto, Woodbine Shopping Centre, [77] and Hearn Generating Station. In early March 2018, filming took place at Fort York National Historic Site in downtown Toronto. [78] By early May 2018, Asher Angel, among other young cast members, had finished filming his part, [79] and principal photography wrapped on May 11, 2018. [80] Reshoots and additional photography took place in Toronto between November [81] and December 2018. [82] Scenes set at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and well as other location work such as footage of the skyline and aerial shots, were filmed in the city of Philadelphia in December 2018. [83] Shazam! had a production budget of $90–100 million [84] (and about $102 million once post-production was complete), [85] making it the least expensive DCEU film to-date. [5] [6]
David F. Sandberg's two-time collaborator Michel Aller served as the editor for Shazam! [51] Mike Wassel ( Hellboy II: The Golden Army and the Fast & Furious franchise) and Kelvin McIlwain (Aquaman) were the overall visual effects supervisors for the film. Technicolor's VFX studios Mr. X (known for The Shape of Water and Tron: Legacy ) and Moving Picture Company (MPC) provided visual effects. Rodeo FX, DNEG, Digital Domain, and Rise FX also worked on the VFX. [86]
On July 21, 2018, Benjamin Wallfisch was announced as the composer for Shazam!, marking his third collaboration with director David F. Sandberg after previously scoring Sandberg's Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation. [87] Wallfisch had also provided additional music for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , the second film in the DC Extended Universe. [88]
Wallfisch cited John Williams and scores from 1980s Amblin Entertainment films as inspirations for Shazam!, to match the tone of a film about "an old-school superhero from the Golden Age" [89] In writing the score, Wallfisch stated that he was "picturing what might happen if a 14-year-old was put in front of a 100 piece orchestra and told there were no limits. I wanted the score to feel like it might have been written by an exuberant kid just having the time of his life with an orchestra." [90]
In April 2018, a first look at Shazam! was shown at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, [91] as director David F. Sandberg introduced behind-the-scene footage. [92] During an interview with the podcast Film Riot in June 2018, Sandberg stated that "On this one, it was just like 'Yeah, I want this to be a classic superhero movie.' It takes place in the winter, so it's a lot of dark exteriors, but with a lot of colorful lights and stuff around them." [93] On July 21, 2018, the first teaser trailer was shown at San Diego Comic-Con during the Warner Bros. panel at Hall H, with Sandberg, Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, and Jack Dylan Grazer in attendance. The trailer was later released online. [94] It received a favorable response from journalists and audiences, who praised its humorous, zany tone. [95]
New footage from the film made its debut at Brazil Comic Con (CCXP) in São Paulo on December 9, 2018, during the Warner Bros. studio panel, with the footage described for the attendees as action-packed. [96] A new trailer was released on March 4, and a three-minute sneak peek was included with the digital home media of Aquaman. At the STP 500 on March 24, 2019, Shazam! was the primary sponsor of Aric Almirola and the #10 Ford Mustang in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. [97] Altogether the studio spent about $105 million promoting the film. [98]
On March 13, 2019, Warner Bros. Pictures announced that they were teaming up with Fandango for exclusive preview screenings on March 23, two weeks before release, on 1,200 select screens and 40 exhibition circuits. [99] Shazam! premiered at TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood on March 28, 2019, [100] and was theatrically released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on April 5, 2019. [56]
Shazam! was released on digital download on July 2, 2019, and was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 16. Physical copies contain behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and gag reels. [101] As of August 20,2020 [update] , Shazam! has made $8.3 million in DVD sales and $21 million in Blu-ray sales, totaling an estimated of $29.4 million in domestic video sales. [102]
Shazam! grossed $140.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $225.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $368 million. [7] It was estimated that the film needed to gross $235–250 million worldwide in order to break even, [103] and Deadline Hollywood calculated the film made a net profit of $74 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues. [98]
In the United States and Canada, Shazam! was released alongside The Best of Enemies and Pet Sematary , [104] and was projected to gross $40–50 million [105] from 4,260 theaters in its opening weekend. [104] Two weeks before its release, the film grossed $3.3 million from Fandango advance screenings, higher than the $2.9 million made by fellow DCEU film Aquaman the previous December. [106] It then made $5.9 million from Thursday night screenings on April 4, for a combined preview total of $9.2 million. [107] The film grossed a total of $20.4 million on its first day, including Thursday previews but not the March screenings. It went on to debut to $53.5 million, finishing first at the box office. [108] In its second weekend the film made $24.5 million, retaining the top spot, [109] before being dethroned by newcomer The Curse of La Llorona in its third weekend. [110] In its fourth weekend, it made $5.6 million and finished fifth at the box office, including behind fellow superhero films Avengers: Endgame and Captain Marvel . [111]
In other territories, the film was released in 53 markets on Wednesday, April 3 and Thursday, April 4, and was projected to debut to $100–120 million, for a global opening of $145–170. In its first two days of international release the film made $15.7 million, finishing first in 48 of its 53 markets. It was then released in an additional 26 countries, including China, where it made $16.4 million on its first day. It went on to have an international debut of $102 million, and a global total of $158.6 million. It came in first in 60 of its 79 markets, with its highest-grossing being China ($43.4 million), Mexico ($10.6 million), Australia ($10.3 million), the United Kingdom ($15.3 million), Russia ($8.4 million), and Brazil ($8.7 million). [112]
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 90% with an average rating of 7.3/10, based on 421 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "An effortlessly entertaining blend of humor and heart, Shazam! is a superhero movie that never forgets the genre's real power: joyous wish fulfillment." [113] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 53 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [114] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 79% positive score, with 59% saying they would definitely recommend it. [115]
Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com said that "while Shazam! is goofier (and darker) than it may look, you'll wish its superhero came with a little more spark," [116] while The Hollywood Reporter 's Frank Scheck called the film "Big on steroids" and praised the tone and performances. [117] Alonso Duralde of TheWrap wrote, "If the Wonder Woman and Aquaman movies represented DC Comics' first big-screen steps away from the austere color palette of the Zack Snyder movies, Shazam! takes us deeply into primary colors in a single bound... this new DC entry has a lovely lightness, both in the visuals and in its tone." [118]
Writing for The A.V. Club , Ignatiy Vishnevetsky gave the film a "B−" and said: "...while the story of an extremely overpowered champion rising to challenge a one-dimensionally sinister baddie might seem like the epitome of simplicity, Shazam! is still a modern-day tentpole blockbuster, overburdened with backstories for both hero and villain and subtexts that it can't (or won't) fully articulate." [119] That publication followed up with a further consideration of masculinity in the film and the superhero genre generally, focusing on the transition of Billy Batson from an adolescent boy to a man with power and responsibility. [120] Benjamin Lee of The Guardian gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, specifying, "The finale, while admirably self-contained and small-scale, grinds on for far too long, a boring escalation of anti-climaxes that cumulatively dull the intended emotional impact. It's a film in need of a tighter edit with a script in need of a sharper polish, an imperfect franchise-launcher that nonetheless represents significant progress for DC." [121]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
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Golden Trailer Awards | May 29, 2019 | Best Action | "My Name" (Buddha Jones) | Nominated | [122] |
Best Action TV Spot | "Serious :60" (Buddha Jones) | Nominated | |||
July 22, 2021 | Best Title/Credit Sequence for a Feature Length Film | Shazam! (Aspect) | Won | [123] | |
MTV Movie & TV Awards | June 17, 2019 | Best Comedic Performance | Zachary Levi | Nominated | [124] |
Best Hero | Nominated | ||||
Saturn Awards | September 13, 2019 | Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture | Shazam! | Nominated | [125] |
Best Performance by a Younger Actor | Asher Angel | Nominated | |||
Jack Dylan Grazer | Nominated | ||||
Best Costume Design | Leah Butler | Nominated | |||
Teen Choice Awards | August 11, 2019 | Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie | Shazam! | Nominated | [126] |
Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie Actor | Zachary Levi | Nominated | |||
Choice Movie Villain | Mark Strong | Nominated | |||
People's Choice Awards | November 10, 2019 | Favorite Action Movie of 2019 | Shazam! | Nominated | [127] |
National Film and Television Awards | December 3, 2019 | Best Comedy | David F. Sandberg | Won | [128] [129] |
On April 8, 2019, TheWrap reported that New Line Cinema was developing a sequel with Henry Gayden returning to write the film, along with David F. Sandberg directing and Peter Safran producing. [130] In December 2019, New Line Cinema announced that the sequel would be released on April 1, 2022. [131] Following several delays, the film was released on March 17, 2023. [132]
Dwayne Johnson was attached to Shazam! early in development, and confirmed that he would portray the villain Black Adam in September 2014. The producers decided to give the character his own film in January 2017, and Adam Sztykiel was hired that October. Jaume Collet-Serra joined in June 2019. Additional casting took place over the next year, including four members of the Justice Society of America (JSA), and the script was re-written by Haines and Noshirvani. Filming took place from April to August 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia, and also Los Angeles. It was originally set for release on December 22, 2021, but was pushed back and released on October 21, 2022. [133]
Captain Marvel, also known as Shazam, is a superhero in American comic books originally published by Fawcett Comics and currently published by DC Comics. Artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker created the character in 1939. Captain Marvel first appeared in Whiz Comics #2, published by Fawcett Comics. He is the alter ego of Billy Batson, a boy who, by speaking the magic word "SHAZAM!", is transformed into a costumed adult with the powers of superhuman strength, speed, flight, and other abilities. The character battles an extensive rogues' gallery, most of them working in tandem as the Monster Society of Evil, including primary archenemies Black Adam, Doctor Sivana and Mister Mind. Billy often shares his powers with other children, primarily his sister Mary Batson and their best friend/foster brother Freddy Freeman, who also transform into superheroes and fight crime with Billy as members of the Marvel Family, also known as the Shazam Family.
Mary Marvel is a fictional character and superheroine originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #18. The character is a member of the Marvel / Shazam Family of heroes associated with the superhero Shazam / Captain Marvel and is one of the first female spin-offs of a major male superhero, and predates the introduction of Supergirl by more than a decade.
The Marvel Family, also known as the Shazam Family, are a group of superheroes who originally appeared in books published by Fawcett Comics and were later acquired by DC Comics. Created in 1942 by writer Otto Binder and artist Marc Swayze, the team was created as an extension of Fawcett's Captain Marvel franchise, and included Marvel's sister Mary Marvel, their friend Captain Marvel Jr., and, at various times, a number of other characters as well.
Mister Mind is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of Captain Marvel. Created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics, the character made a cameo appearance in Captain Marvel Adventures #22 before making his full first appearance in Captain Marvel Adventures #26. Mister Mind is a two-inch alien caterpillar of high intelligence with telepathic powers who usually carries out his villainous plans through an organization called the Monster Society of Evil. The Society made its debut in Captain Marvel Adventures #22, and the resulting "Monster Society of Evil" story arc continued for two years in Captain Marvel Adventures, ending with issue #46.
The Power of Shazam! is a 1994 hardcover graphic novel, written and painted by Jerry Ordway for DC Comics. The 96-page story, depicting the revamped origins of former Fawcett Comics superhero Captain Marvel, was followed by an ongoing series, also titled The Power of Shazam!, which ran from 1995 to 1999.
Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, the character is a recurring enemy of the superhero Captain Marvel, who first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 by Fawcett Comics. A mad scientist and inventor bent on world domination, Sivana was soon established as Captain Marvel's main archenemy during the Golden Age, appearing in over half of the Fawcett Captain Marvel stories published between 1939 and 1953.
The Lieutenant Marvels are fictional characters, a team of superheroes in the Fawcett Comics and DC Comics universes. They first appeared in Whiz Comics #21 in 1941. The physical appearance of the three characters was based on three real-life members of the Fawcett Comics staff: Paul Peck, Ed Hamilton, and Frank Taggart.
Zachary Levi Pugh is an American actor. He starred as Chuck Bartowski in the action comedy series Chuck (2007–2012), and as the title character in the superhero film Shazam! (2019) and its 2023 sequel.
Captain Marvel Jr., also known as Shazam Jr., is a superhero appearing in American comic books formerly published by Fawcett Comics and currently published by DC Comics. A member of the Marvel/Shazam Family team of superheroes associated with Captain Marvel/Shazam, he was created by Ed Herron, C.C. Beck, and Mac Raboy, and first appeared in Whiz Comics #25 in December 1941.
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The DCEU also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games. Like the original DC Universe in comic books, the DCEU is established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.
David F. Sandberg is a Swedish filmmaker. He is best known for his collective no-budget horror short films under the online pseudonym ponysmasher and for his 2016 directorial debut Lights Out, based on his 2013 acclaimed horror short of the same name. He also directed the horror film Annabelle: Creation (2017) as part of The Conjuring Universe, and the DC Extended Universe films Shazam! (2019) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023).
Jack Dylan Grazer is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Eddie Kaspbrak in the horror film It (2017) and its 2019 sequel, Freddy Freeman in the DC Extended Universe film Shazam! (2019) and its 2023 sequel, and voicing Alberto Scorfano in the Pixar animated film Luca (2021). The Hollywood Reporter named him one of the top 30 stars under age 18 in 2018.
Asher Dov Angel is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor in the film Jolene (2008), starring Jessica Chastain. He is known for his roles as Jonah Beck in the Disney Channel series Andi Mack (2017–2019) and Billy Batson in the DC Extended Universe films Shazam! (2019) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023).
Black Adam is a 2022 American superhero film based on the DC character of the same name. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, Seven Bucks Productions, and FlynnPictureCo. and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a spin-off from Shazam! (2019) and the eleventh film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra from a script by Adam Sztykiel and the writing team of Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, the film stars Dwayne Johnson as Teth-Adam / Black Adam, an ancient superhuman who is released from his magic imprisonment by a group of archeologists to free the nation of Kahndaq from the crime syndicate Intergang, whose local leader plans to obtain an ancient relic called the Crown of Sabbac to take control of it. Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Quintessa Swindell and Noah Centineo appear in supporting roles.
Shazam!: The New Beginning is a comic book four-issue limited series published from April to July 1987. This title is a spin-off from the DC comic title Legends.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC character Shazam. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Studios, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the sequel to Shazam! (2019) and the 12th installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, it stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D. J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, and Helen Mirren. In the film, Billy Batson / Shazam and his foster siblings fight the Daughters of Atlas.
Lego DC Shazam!: Magic and Monsters is a 2020 American animated superhero comedy film based on the DC Comics and Lego brands. The film is produced by DC Entertainment, The Lego Group and Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It is the tenth and final Lego DC Comics film and was released on digital on April 28, and on Blu-ray and DVD on June 16, 2020. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for the humor and action.
Henry Gayden is an American screenwriter, best known for writing the films Earth to Echo (2014), Shazam! (2019) and There's Someone Inside Your House (2021).
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on superhero films and other series starring various titular superheroes produced by DC Films / DC Studios, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, and based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. Despite numerous film series in the past on characters such as Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern, none of those film series were connected. The DCEU debuted in 2013 with Man of Steel, centered on Superman, and has grown to include other characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and several others included in this list. The shared universe, much like the original DC Universe in comic books, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters, and crossed over with separate timelines from other DC-licensed film series in The Flash to create a "multiverse" before being largely rebooted as the new DC Universe franchise under new management from DC Studios.
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: CS1 maint: location (link)In 1953, the case was finally settled out of court when Fawcett agreed to quit using the Captain Marvel character(s) and pay DC the sum of $400,000.