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Shazam Movie Still On
One of my favorite lessor known (relatively speaking) super heroes has always been Captain Marvel (also known as Shazam). There was a time that The Rock was on board to play either the lead or the villain in the project (oddly enough I actually think that would work), but common thinking recently seems to be that the project was dead. Well… according to director Peter Segal (50 First Dates, Get Smart) it is still very much alive.
The folks over at Sci Fi Wire give us this:
“I think it’ll still happen,” Segal (Get Smart) said in a group interview at WonderCon in San Francisco over the weekend. “Though timing is going to be a key issue now, because … normally we’d be working on a script while we’re in post-production [on Get Smart], so that hopefully when we’re done with post-production, we’re ready to go into preproduction [on the next project]. You don’t really want to rush something like Shazam,” Segal said. “I mean, it’s going to be a huge movie. I mean, huge in scope and in price. And so you want to make sure you have a solid script and really pay attention to the casting and all the preproduction that goes into that. So, you know, I think when it’s right, it’ll be made.”
The character will most likely go by the name “Shazam” since he is a DC Comics character and they won’t want to confuse him with Marvel Comics.
As much as I like this character, I just don’t see it working in an age of superman movies. A guy with super strength, red outfit, a cape and can fly. Sound familiar? I also don’t think a director like Segal is the right guy for something like this. I appreciate him as a comedy director… but is Shazam going to be relegated to being some sort of half assed spoof comedy? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Shazam as a name does NOT work in film. NO. Keep in mind, Shaq did that movie called Shazam over ten years ago when he played a genie. Nobody saw that thing, so I doubt that people will get confused, but that’s still a word that will inspire giggles, not awe. I’m all for sticking to source material, but it’ll be interesting to see if the studio tries to change around the name.
Could not agree more, Kristina. Shazam sounds like something Austin Powers would say if he was being interrogated by fem-bots.
lmao ^^^
This would be great if done properly. I always thought the guy who played The Tick (and Puddy on Seinfeld) on the live-action Fox series would have been perfect for the role of Shazam/Capt. Marvel. being an older comics fan (they were .12 cents when I started!) I have an appreciation for the Golden Age heroes.
Keeping my fingers crossed on the Captain America film…..
The Rock would actually be perfect to play Black Adam.
And they should call the movie Shazam but the character is Captain Marvel. Shazam is the wizard who gives him his powers.
It would be a great movie if done right. Like a cross between Big and Superman.
Kristina@
Shaq abortion movie was called KAZZAN!
Believe me a saw the danm thing on vhs!!
I dont understand why john think a movie like this woudnt work,Cap marvel is probably the only superhero who can acomodate light comedy and big action whitout looks stupid.
After all is a 14 years kid who can transform into a superhero,having to deal with the good things who comes with it and the responsability to use it the better way possible.
You can make it funny and epic whitout worry about the fans since they already know the character was created that way.
The movie with Shaq was called “Kazaam”, not Shazam.
I used to read Shazam comics back in the 70s and enjoyed them. The 1970s Saturday morning kids show’s potential was greatly “watered down” for the toddlers. Jackson Bostwick, imho, did an excellent job portraying the hero. He was friendly, stoic, and not corny inspite of some of the weak story plots. I was very disappointed when he was fired and replaced by John Davey. Hopefully the new Captain Marvel, hopefully, will have a style similar to Bostwick’s. Though the comic issues from “way back” were sometimes “campy” it would be cool if the momvie’s story and action were along the lines of Spiderman and Batman Begins.
I agree with the poster who said that Patrick Warburton (Puddy from Seinfeld, the boss on Talk Radio, etc.) would make an excellent Captain Marvel - especially if he played it straight instead of as a big doofus. His look is PERFECT. However, If he goes the doofus route (which is, granted, his stock in trade in sitcoms and voice over work), then someone else should play Cap.
And I also agree that he should be called Captain Marvel in the film’s dialogue, if not in the credits. Same way it’s handled in the comics - SHAZAM on the title of the book and Captain Marvel on the inside.
The film makers should get Alex Ross to be the creative consultant, and use an Elvis Presley soundtrack (the king was a Shazam fan as a kid). Casting suggestions:
Captain Marvel - preferably an unknown culled from daytime soaps or the stage, like Cheyenne Jackson, but if a bigger name star is mandatory, good choices are James Caveizel, Jesse Metcalfe, or possibly Ashton Kutcher.
Billy Batson - Nathan Kress (Nickelodeon’s iCarly)
Shazam - Omar Sharif or possibly Michael Keaton
Dr Sivana - Joe Pesci or maybe Dustin Hoffman
Beautia - Kelly Carlson (Nip/Tuck), Marnette Patterson (Starship Troopers 3), or Stacy Keibler (Samurai Girl)
Black Adam - obviously, Dwayne Johnson has already been cast
Uncle Dudley - his royal majesty Micky Dolenz (this is my #1 casting pick!)
Mary Bromfield (Batson) - Kay Panabaker (Read It & Weep) or Selina Gomez (Another Cinderella Story)
Freddy Freeman - Benjamin Keough (Elvis’ grandson)
Sterling Morris - Jon Voight, Stacey Keatch, Dan Aykroyd, or Martin Mull
Joan Jameson - Keri Lynn Pratt, Maggie Lawson (Psych), or Sarah Chalke
Nick Bromfield - Tom Selleck
Nora Bromfield - Catherine Hicks or Bonnie Hunt
Nanny Primm - Carol Burnett or Cloris Leachman
Cissy Sommerly - Emily Osment (Hannah Montana)
Whitey Murphy - Jason Dolley (Minutemen)
Mr Tawny - Jim Belushi
Freddy’s Grandpa - Alan Alda or Tony Curtis
Ebenezer Batson - Bob Newhart, Tim Conway, or possibly Don Rickles
A fun bit of stunt casting would be to cast Detroit/Cleveland TV legend “The Ghoul” in a cameo as an on-air personality at station WHIZ. See website http://www.theghoul.com
Shazam! (Capt. Marvel) was well known in the 1940s to 1970s. I enjoyed the events the Superhero done in comic boks to the TV previews. That Shaq (basketball player) should be sued for using the name “Shazam” in his genie movie.
I am very glad a new movie will be made of “Shazam” (Capt. Marvel)
Check out this web fansite for the movie
http://www.myspace.com/shazamaholic
could the movie be called
SHAZAM
“The World’s Mighest Mortal” ???
has a nice ring to ii
As in Superman “The Man of Steel”