'Shazam!' Scheduled to Premiere April 2019, Says Director
"Shazam!" is expected to hit the big screen on April 2019, according to the film's director David F. Sandberg.
After "Justice League" debuts next month, one of the most-anticipated superhero films from DC is "Shazam!"
Sandberg recently took to Reddit and joined in a discussion about his most recent project, "Annabelle: Creation." When asked by a fan about the upcoming DC movie's tentative release date, Sandberg responded, "April 2019. It takes a long time to make vfx heavy movies."
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The director's statement comes just days after it was confirmed that cinematographer Maxime Alexandre and production designer Jennifer Spence have both boarded "Shazam!" This reunites Sandberg with Alexandre and Spence, who also worked on this summer's "Annabelle: Creation." Since the cinematographer and production designer are two of the most important roles in a film, it is important for Sandberg to have people he knows and trusts.
The live-action remake of "Shazam!" will center on Billy Batson's origin story for the first time in a film. Aside from the behind-the-scene changes, no other concrete details about the plot have been announced yet. It's also unclear who will portray the titular role, but some of the rumored frontrunners for the character include Joshua Sasse and John Cena.
Originally slated to be the film's villain was Black Adam, who will be played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Unfortunately, Kahndaqian anti-hero will no longer be a part of "Shazam!," as he will make his live-action debut in his own film. His conflict with Shazam is reportedly being saved for a different movie in the future.
The studio has yet to announce the name of Shazam's new rival. However, there are speculations that it will be the mad scientist Doctor Sivana. He was first introduced in Whiz Comics #2 alongside the Big Red Cheese.
