Tag: Shazam!

Rachel Zegler May be the Fury in ‘Shazam: Fury of The Gods’

The first film in the Shazam! franchise was a resounding success, gaining critical acclaim across the world for Zachary Levi‘s charming and heart-warming performance as the Wizard’s champion. The sequel quickly got greenlit following the film’s opening weekend. Director David Sandberg, screenwriter Henry Gayden, and most of the first film’s cast set to return for a second round. When the first film finished, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana got locked away for the terror he wrought through the Seven Deadly Sins. Just before we left his cell, he got visited by the small and unsettling Mr. Mind, a telepathic Caterpillar. It’s currently unclear if the duo will return for the upcoming sequel, but it seems the Shazamily may have a bigger problem on their hands this time around.

The recent casting of newcomer Rachel Zegler was a brow raiser for many who couldn’t tell who she would be playing. The actress played coy on social media and poked fun at the anonymity of her role. Upon further investigation, I believe Zegler could be playing an adaption of the Shazam villain, Sabina. Sabina De La Croix was an orphan who had to watch her parents get magically burned alive in front of her. She would later go on to be discovered by the Council of Merlin after inadvertently killing a classmate out of jealousy after activating a death charm. The council analyzed determined her to be a Fury, a warrior with immense magical strength.

On top of already being a powerful magical being, Sabina was also tenth in line to succeed as the wizard Shazam’s champion. To get there quicker, she began killing those that were next in line to achieve her goal. As such, Sabina has developed an affinity for killing and stealing the power of the Gods. She stole the strength from Hercules, killed Atlas, and even took Mercury’s speed. Sabina would be the perfect villain for the upcoming sequel and would quite literally be the Fury of the Gods and attempt to steal the powers bestowed upon Billy by the Wizard.

February 27, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: ‘BLACK ADAM’ Looks to Explore the Origins of Doctor Fate

Production on the long-awaited Dwayne Johnson superhero vehicle Black Adam is set to get underway in Atlanta this April and as the start date draws nearer, director Jaume Collet-Serra is looking to round out the cast. Our first look at the film at DC Fandome teased Teth-Adam’s slave origins in ancient Khandaq and a new casting search indicates the film might be spending quite a bit of time exploring Adam’s origins.

Black Adam is currently on the hunt for what appears to be a young version of Johnson’s Teth-Adam along with characters who would appear to be his father and another warrior from the time period. Additionally, the production is looking an actor to portray a magician described as a “powerful being prepared to do what they must to protect the world.” Given the time period the film is set to explore and the foundations it is expected to lay, it’s HIGHLY probable that Black Adam will introduce Nabu to the DC Universe.

Nabu is an incredibly ancient and powerful cosmic entity whose spirit is contained in the Helmet of Fate, the magical artifact worn by those taking up the mantle of Doctor Fate. Nabu prophesied the arrival of a Thangarian ship to Earth and was with Black Adam and Khufu, the Egyptian prince whose soul was eventually reincarnated as Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, when they discovered the ship and the Nth metal. The pieces all fall into place nicely for Black Adam to serve as an origin story for Adam, Hawkman and Doctor Fate.

Black Adam, originally set for a December 2021 release, is still without a new release date.

February 26, 2021
‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Adds ‘West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler in Undisclosed Role

We recently reported that Shazam‘s upcoming sequel Fury of Gods is eyeing a May production start in Georgia. Well, some casting news just dropped that would help support it, as The Wrap has revealed that West Side Story‘s Rachel Zegler has joined the sequel in a key role. She is the second Colombian American actress to join a DC production right after Sasha Calle‘s casting as Supergirl for the upcoming The Flash film.

There are no details on what character she might be playing, as the film’s script is still kept under wraps. There is a chance her character could be connected to a report from four months ago. It was about the film looking to cast Greek mythologies’ Three Sisters. She could be playing one or even portray all three if they want to go down a triplet route with their portrayal. Her career has been rising, as the singer and actress will star opposite Ansel Elgort in the upcoming remake of West Side Story by Steven Spielberg.

The upcoming sequel will continue the story of Billy Batson, who can transform into an adult with superpowers after saying the iconic word. Zachary Levi will return to play the titular hero, whose name is the summary of the six gods, whose powers he was given. David F. Sandberg is also back to direct the film. He will bring a screenplay by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan to life, which will explore the aftermath of Billy giving his adoptive siblings similar abilities.

Source: The Wrap

February 25, 2021
‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ Production Update

A few weeks ago actress Meagan Good, who played Super Hero Darla in 2019’s Shazam!, appeared on the Carlos Watson show and told him “God willing and by the grace of God, Shazam 2 starts in May.” Now, this was not exactly an answer that instilled a huge amount of confidence that Shazam! Fury of the Gods, would begin filming in May after a significant delay, but it was certainly hopeful. I can now confirm that the Shazam! sequel is still on schedule to begin filming in Georgia at the end of May or early June.

Previously it had been reported that Shazam! Fury of the Gods would film in Toronto, ON, Canada this Spring, but this has apparently changed. At this time, it’s unclear whether or not the production will film entirely in Georgia or they will travel to Canada at some point to film as well. But I have heard that the Georgia part of production is prepping currently and is on course to begin filming at the end of May.

It is interesting to note that Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam is also currently in pre-production in Georgia and should be filming at the same time. Whether or not the Shazam! production “powers that be” decided to move to Georgia for this reason (in order to make any potential cross overs between the films much easier to make happen and keep secret) is unclear, but it’s certainly a possibility!

Shazam! Fury of the Gods, starring Zachary Levi and directed by David F. Sandberg, is scheduled to be released June 2, 2023

Source: Twitter (Carlos Watson Show video)

Note: This is not my source, however a shout out to @pridenation on Twitter who also got the info a few days ago that Shazam! Fury of the Gods would be filming in Georgia, so kudos to them on getting the location!

February 24, 2021
Tracking DC’s Ever-changing Slate

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there is hardly any business that hasn’t needed ongoing adjustments throughout 2020. Movie studios have been struggling ever since movie theaters had to be shut down, leaving them without the expected money influx, and even with some theaters reopening it has been tough to get audiences to return.

Warner Bros. isn’t unaffected by it all and has, until now, resorted to postponing DCEU release dates, from The Batman to The Flash and Shazam! Fury of The Gods, hoping for a brighter future down the road.

Yesterday came the news that, after several delays, Wonder Woman 1984 is now scheduled to be released both in theaters and through HBO Max on December 25. It was originally announced for release on December 13, 2019, but after an initial (non-coronavirus-related) delay, it was only on March 24 that the rollercoaster really began.

Check out the moves Warner Bros. made in 2020 concerning the DCEU’s release schedule below. The only thing we know for sure is that going into 2021, there are probably still some changes ahead.

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November 19, 2020
DC’s ‘Black Adam’: Who is Isis?

Black Adam is quite possibly one of the most anticipated DC movies in development and is already living up to the hype with the addition of some of DC’s most iconic characters. With such a rich library to pick from, the film will introduce those from the Justice Society and the Black Marvel Family. The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change and Black Adam won’t let anything stand in between him and protecting the kingdom that he’s called home for thousands of years.

Based on a character played by Joanna Cameron from the Shazam!/Isis Hour, Adrianna Tomaz, once a slave, was a gift to Black Adam from the infamous Intergang, a group of mercs powered up by stolen Apokolips technology. Adam quickly cut these mercenaries down and freed Adrianna who quickly became critical of the way Adam was running Kahndaq and how he could be doing things better. Adam quickly fell for Adrianna and the two would wed in a ceremony officiated by Shazam, with many prominent members of the Shazamly in attendance such as Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr, Uncle Dudley, and of course Tawky Tawny.

Adrianna was given the the amulet of Isis after being approved by now sitting wizard, Captain Marvel. The amulet once belonged to Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut, a previous champion of the wizard. The amulet of Isis, once in hand and the words “I am Isis” are spoken, allowed he or she who wore it to be instilled with the powers of the goddess Isis: speed, strength, wisdom, flight, and the ability to control nature. Together Adam and Adrianna traveled throughout the Middle East freeing the enslaved and searching for Adrianna’s lost brother, Amon, after the two were separated in enslavement. Amon would soon become bestowed with powers similar to Adam and Tomaz, donning the name Osiris.

A much more watered down version of the character named Zari, played by Tala Ashe, has become a series regular on Legends of Tomorrow wielding a similar amulet that allows her to control wind, the character is a hacker from the future who joined the legends to save her brother. Sarah Shahi has been cast in Black Adam and will play the powerful love interest herself.

October 15, 2020
‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ Eyeing Q1 2021 Production Start

Unlike most superhero films, the Shazam franchise has to stick to a much stricter schedule. Its cast of main characters is very young. Every year they don’t film, they will age quite rapidly. It doesn’t make director David F. Sandberg‘s job any easier. Especially the current pandemic made this issue even more apparent. So far, we only know the title of the sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods. There was no mention of when they would start filming and how far along the script was. Luckily, actor Zachary Levi offered an update during an interview on Dan Fogler‘s 4D Xperience.

They announced that we were gonna do a sequel pretty much right after we premiered. They knew we were tracking well enough, they were happy enough with the numbers. So they have been steadily and earnestly working on the script for the sequel and I think Q1 of next year is the idea.

The film is slated for November 4th, 2022. So, starting filming early next year makes sense. It gives them enough time to also take delays or reshoots into account. Shazam! is also effects-heavy, so it will give them time to get them perfect. He does also confirm that anything can change given the current situation. With the 2022 release, we also don’t know if they will jump directly into filming the third installment. It hasn’t been renewed yet but it would make sense not to waste any time. Levi did point out that this sequel was a priority for the studio, so the third Shazam! film might already be on their radar.

Source: YouTube via Comic Book

September 7, 2020
‘SHAZAM 2’ Eyeing Spring 2021 Production Start

Last year’s Shazam offered the world a great coming-of-age story. Young Billy Batson had to come to terms with his past and the fact that he can transform into Zachery Levi. Director David F. Sandberg managed to five us a fun-loving tale of a kid turning into a superhero. He somehow also managed to sneak in some gruesome moments with Dr. Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins. It was certainly a great addition to the DC line-up but this was only the beginning of his story. It was announced that Dwayne Johnson would play his arch-nemesis Black Adam in his own spin-off film. Now, we are anticipating the build-up to the moment these two titans finally clash.

Last year, we got the official release date for the sequel on November 4th, 2022. In an interview with Sandberg back in April, he did state that initially the plans were to start production sometime this year. As everything is currently delayed, it was uncertain when they could start production again. Luckily, Illuminerdi found out that they are currently eyeing Spring 2021 to start production. This still could change depending on how the current situation develops.

Unlike most films, Shazam has only a limited amount of time to film its sequels. The film’s young cast could end up outgrowing their roles if they take too much time, so the delays could have impacted this forcing them to write a time skip between films. WE don’t know much about the sequel and there is no confirmation if Black Adam will appear in the sequel, or if they will build it up until the third. It will be interesting to see how this develops. Perhaps we get an update on the sequel in the upcoming DC FanDome event on August 22nd.

Source: CinemaBlend, Digital Spy, Illuminerdi

August 11, 2020
‘SHAZAM!’ 2 Set for 2022

Shazam! was one of the most surprising comic book films of the year. It’s successful opening weekend led to the immediate announcement of a sequel, set to be written Henry Gayden, and now we have a date as Warner Bros. announced today that the sequel will hit theaters on April 1, 2022.

Details about the film are scarce, but it is expected to see most of the cast of the original return, possibly to take on Mister Mind who was seen plotting at the end of the last film.

Shazam! 2 will join The Flash (July 1st) and Aquaman 2 (December 16th) on Warner Media’s 2022 release slate.

December 12, 2019