In what is probably one of the smartest decisions I have seen a DCEU production make, the producers of ‘Shazam’ are crafting their film, which will indeed take place in the DCEU, entirely without Zack Snyder’s involvement.
Apparently, that was a key negotiation point when they were talking about creating the film, and it is something the filmmakers are very keen on maintaining. They promise that it will still take place in the world and feel like a member of the DCEU family, but they are bringing in their own writers, producers, and directors to craft this film, which I am sure is at least partially a result of the strong fan backlash against all of the DCEU films Snyder has been directly involved in (i.e. ‘Man of Steel,’ ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,’ and even ‘Suicide Squad’ where he served as a producer).
According to ‘Shazam’ producer Dany Garcia during a recent interview with Newsweek:
“Shazam! is to live in the same world [as the other films] but we have incredible autonomy over this brand and franchise. We are working with a different team, different producers, directors… it’s a different set-up…We don’t feel fettered by, or constrained by, the successes or failures and challenges of the other projects. That was a key component to our participation—that we be able to control the tone and the voice, and do it the way we want to. It needs to be of the world.’
“You’ve got Justice League, Wonder Woman with a different director, so you’re going to see different points of view. I think by the time we land with [Shazam!] we’ll fit nicely within the world that’s been created, but not such a shorthand relationship. [It’ll be] enough that people say, ‘Oh, this is within the family,’ but the culture will be a little different.”
So far, all we really know about the film is that Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will be starring as the villain Black Adam, the arch-nemesis to Shazam, and that Johnson will also be co-producing the film. Other than that, Garcia promises they are fervently writing the script for the film, trying to take lessons from all the other franchises out there, and make this the best movie it can be. In his words:
“We’re getting [script] drafts in… it’s important to make sure we get the tone right for Black Adam, which is Dwayne’s part. We don’t mind taking our time. We’re being very careful with each act and scene to go back and layer in as much as possible.”
“We’ve got so many wonderful superhero franchises out there… we don’t need to run away from them and say ‘we can’t be that,’ but it’s important to understand what are the best aspects of a Batman [movie] versus Avengers versus Deadpool? What are the elements people are responding to? We want to move the needle.”
Are you excited for ‘Shazam?’ Do you think, as I do, that separating themselves from the Snyder influence and tone can only be a good thing for the film? Share your opinion on the matter in the comments below!
SOURCE: Newsarama
Nick is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, who belongs to the privileged few who enjoyed the ending to ‘Lost.’ For more of Nick’s thoughts and articles, follow him on Twitter (@starfro67)
