As a whole, it was a fairly run-of-the-mill awards ceremony – some tearful speeches, a sprinkling of politics, jokes about Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating life – but got the job done.
Glaser returned to host again, offering a few fun skits (a parody of the Nicole Kidman AMC ad targeting podcasts, and a mash-up for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and ‘Marty Supreme’ with a Fran Drescher cameo.
Yes, some of the jokes were entirely predictable, but there were some pointed jabs at CBS News (“see BS News”) and the Epstein Files.
And overall, Glaser kept the show moving (it eventually ended roughly 10 minutes late).
There were a lot of expected winners, including several trophies for ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sinners’ and the latest for ‘Marty Supreme’s Timothée Chalamet.
But the surprises were more fun –– ‘Hamnet’ scooped the Motion Picture – Drama award, while ‘The Secret Agent’ nabbed Non-English Language Film and a more unexpected (if entirely deserved) Actor trophy for star Wagner Moura.
A lot of the TV awards for drama and comedy were similar to other shows such as the Emmys, with ‘The Pitt,’‘The Studio’ and ‘Adolescence’ all winning more hardware for their trophy cabinets.
Awards shows are usually a mix of humble and heartfelt, and ‘One Battle’s Teyana Taylor certainly got that in early with her tearful acceptance moment.
Outside of acceptance speeches, Judd Apatow killed it presenting Best Director, nodding to Nikki Glaser’s history babysitting his daughters and his “quiet boycott” of the awards after ‘Trainwreck’ lost to ‘The Martian’ in the comedy category a decade ago.
Wanda Sykes was also on top form as she presented the Stand-Up category, swiping at Bill Maher and particularly Ricky Gervais, whose award she accepted “on behalf of God and trans people.”
And Snoop Dogg was… Snoop Dogg, handing out the first Podcast award, which was won by Amy Poehler for ‘Good Hang.’
There was much praise for Macaulay Culkin, who was presenting Best Screenplay, and scored a standing ovation as he took the stage.
Julia Roberts hyped up her own stint on stage Presenting Best Motion Picture Comedy, while poor George Clooney had to note that he did not get the same reaction presenting drama, a fact reiterated by pal Don Cheadle, who showed up to gently rib him.
The Golden Globes will take place on December 8th.
Despite lots of changes behind the scenes and some serious PR airbrushing, the Golden Globes never quite retained their luster. Still, they’re a big stop on the awards circuit and the nominations were announced today by Marlon Wayans and Skye P. Marshall during a press conference held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
And on the TV front, ‘The White Lotus’ and this year’s big small screen sensation, the one-shot drama ‘Adolescence’ have the most nominations for their side of the awards.
Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture
(L to R) Teyana Taylor as Perfidia and Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Paul Thomas Anderson, ‘One Battle After Another’ Ryan Coogler, ‘Sinners’
Guillermo del Toro, ‘Frankenstein’ Jafar Panahi, ‘It Was Just an Accident’ Joachim Trier, ‘Sentimental Value’
Paul Thomas Anderson, ‘One Battle After Another’ Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, ‘Marty Supreme’
Ryan Coogler, ‘Sinners’
Jafar Panahi, ‘It Was Just an Accident’ Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier, ‘Sentimental Value’ Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell, ‘Hamnet’
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
“Dream as One”, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
“Golden”, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’
“I Lied to You”, ‘Sinners’
“No Place Like Home”, ‘Wicked: For Good’
“The Girl in the Bubble”, ‘Wicked: For Good’
“Train Dreams”, ‘Train Dreams’
The filmmakers in particular have been busy, making the leap from the 2019 effort to the two most recent ‘Scream’ installments and this year’s vampire thriller ‘Abigail.’
Now, though, at a screening of ‘Ready or Not’, the directors announced that a sequel is in the works, with Weaving once again starring.
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What was the story of ‘Ready or Not’?
(L to R) Mark O’Brien and Samara Weaving in ‘Ready or Not’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The horror comedy thriller followed a young bride (Weaving) as she joined her new husband’s (Mark O’Brien) rich, eccentric family (Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell) in a time-honored tradition: Pulling a card from a puzzle game.
It seems innocent enough, but if someone draws the Hide and Seek card, as she does, then a murderous game is played, all in order to appease an ancient family deal with the devil. And so begins a fight for survival…
Spoiler alert at this point for anyone who has yet to see the movie: Weaving’s Grace makes it out, while mostly everyone else either ends up dead from a weapon or exploding in a geyser of blood when the curse inherent in the deal is carried out.
The movie, made for only $6 million, grossed over $28 million domestically and was the widest release for Searchlight at the time.
What has been happening with a ‘Ready or Not’ sequel?
Samara Weaving in ‘Ready or Not’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
All involved have said they want to come back for more, but it’s been a question of timing: the directors have been off doing their other movies, while Weaving has been in demand for the likes of ‘Chevalier,’ ‘Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins,’ ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’ and ‘Babylon‘.
She also found time to squeeze in a cameo as –– again, spoiler alert –– the initial victim in last year’s ‘Scream VI.’
“I’m all in. I think we’re all in, I don’t know. I think we’re all in…I don’t know if we’ve had our blood handshake, but pretty much. We’ve done the spit handshake, but we haven’t cut each other’s hands and rubbed our blood together.”
Looks like that has now happened –– or, you know, they’ve just made deals in the regular way.
As to what will happen in the movie itself, that’s anyone’s guess at this point. Given Weaving’s return, a prequel about the family appears unlikely, more her Grace getting into another tricky and potentially bloody situation.
Opening in theaters in limited release on December 15th and expanding wide on December 22nd, ‘American Fiction’ is one of the canniest and funniest satires to land in theaters for a long time.
Rooted in an assured, well-observed script adapted itself from a great book, Cord Jefferson’s feature directorial debut has a captivating lead performance from Jeffrey Wright, surrounded by a cadre of actors from which there are no false notes.
The subject of race in America and the wider world can often be a tricky one to tackle; and while that’s certainly the driving force in the movie, it’s one that it handles with such surety and creativity that you come away from the experience impressed and satisfied.
Percival Everett’s novel ‘Erasure’ was fueled by an incisive, angry look at how the Black experience can be commodified and packaged for guilt-ridden white audiences –– the better for it to be accepted into wider, whiter society.
That’s an even trickier narrative to make work in a movie, so Cord Jefferson –– who has form writing on shows such as ‘Watchmen’, ‘The Good Place’ and ‘Master of None’ but hadn’t directed a film before –– is to be lauded for how effectively he does it. ‘American Fiction’ might occasionally fall into the odd indie movie trope, but that doesn’t diminish its power or entertainment value.
Having worked in various writers’ rooms, Jefferson knows his way around an astute screenplay, and here he channels Everett’s book while also finding his own voice. The writing is witty and keenly observed, but it’s not all about the central premise –– the family story running alongside it (and sometimes taking prominence in the life of main character Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, (played by Jeffrey Wright) is given plenty of space and time to becoming just as involving.
As a director, Jefferson mostly lets his characters do the heavy lifting, aside from a couple of worthwhile meta sequences where creations come to life or the end of the film is edited and workshopped by two characters, this has an unassuming visual palette that gives the story prominence.
One or two moments do slip into standard indie movie style –– shots of characters contemplating their situation on a beachfront path as seagulls cry in the distance, waves lap the land and Laura Karpman’s score goes full ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ jingly jazz don’t help matters, but they are few and far between.
Much more successfully is how Jefferson has brought out the best in his cast, which we suppose isn’t too difficult given a cast this wonderful, but still counts for a lot.
Jeffrey Wright owns ‘American Fiction’, absolutely proving he’s one of the best actors of his generation, albeit one who doesn’t always get the chance to prove that (which just shows you why the conceit of the movie is worth exploring).
Here, Wright feasts on the role of Monk, giving life to Jefferson’s script in nuanced, creative and emotionally satisfying fashion. An intellectual author who teaches privileged, issues-led students at a Los Angeles college to make ends meet between publishing highbrow fiction (he’s shocked when he sees his work filed in the “African American” section and insists it be moved elsewhere, only to be informed by a nervy shop assistant that that’s not how chain stores work).
Monk is a fully realized, superbly rounded character, one who soon learns what he’s always feared; that he’s slowly pushed everyone and everything in his life away and is painfully lonely, even as he covers it with intelligent frustration. This is a funny, flawed, human man with many foibles tarring his intelligence. When he decides to write the ultimate “Black experience” book to poke fun at the sort of material that white publishers lap up, his career becomes much more successful, even as he’s terrified of what it all means, and his life slowly starts to spiral out of control.
But this is no monologue, and Jefferson has cast so very well around Wright that it’s hard to pick out the best of the ensemble. When you have the likes of Sterling K. Brown, Keith David, Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams, Issa Rae and John Ortiz in fully fleshed out supporting roles, you know you’re in good hands. Everyone shines, helping to build Jefferson’s world and filling it with watchable moments.
‘American Fiction’ features a book awards ceremony at one point, and the voting process for the tomes that end up making it to the dais could well be read as a dig at the Oscars’ proclivity for movies such as 2004’s ‘Crash’ that claim to have insight on race relations.
Yet as a movie itself, the film is good enough to be in consideration for categories such as Best Actor (for Wright), Best Adapted Screenplay (for Jefferson) and more. It might be dealing with a difficult subject, but it makes the whole endeavor look easy. As film directing debuts go, Cord Jefferson scores a real winner, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
‘American Fiction’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘American Fiction’?
In ‘American Fiction’, Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a frustrated novelist who is fed up with the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes.
To prove his point, Monk uses a pen name to write an outlandish “Black” book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.
Who else is in ‘American Fiction’?
Around Wright, the cast includes Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown.
The DC comic-book sequel is coming to Max faster than you can say Shazam! Follow the Shazam family along on their next adventure and their battle with the daughters of Atlas.
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Following the events of 2019’s Shazam! Billy Baxton and his foster siblings continue to be heroes for the people of Philadelphia, now with a better understanding of their newfound powers. But a new threat arrives that proves to be much more powerful than anything they have ever faced.
“Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.”
‘Shazam Fury of the Gods’ opened to $30.1 million, $23.3 million less than the first film despite it being number one in the box office for its opening weekend. The sequel has grossed $132.1 million worldwide since its release.
Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu Faces Off Against The Shazam Family
On top of juggling their superpowers and their normal lives, Billy and his siblings faces a new threat in the Daughters of Atlas. Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu play sisters Hespera and Kalypso, arriving on Earth seeking revenge from those who took their powers. They go head-to-head with the Shazam family, stripping some of them of their powers, rendering Billy to face them alone.
The chemistry between Mirren and Liu is undeniable, and some of the best moments in the film were when both were on screen together. The addition of Rachel Zegler (‘West Side Story‘) as the third sister Anthea created a fantastic dynamic as she struggled with how far her sisters are willing to go to regain their magic.
Each sister possessed a different type of magic. Hespera has the power to manipulate the elements, giving her the ability to control air, water, fire, and earth. Kalypso has the power of chaos and can cause widespread panic and hysteria just by a whisper in one’s ear. Anthea has the ability to manipulate reality, giving her the control to wrap and shift her surroundings.
The threat doesn’t stop there. This film is also filled with fantastical creatures from Greek mythology such as Ladon the Dragon, chimeras, minotaurs, harpies, and cyclops. The creatures were born out of the Tree of Life planted by Kalypso, wreaking havoc on Fawcett City. While not tied to the Greek mythology, unicorns also played a part in the movie serving as steeds for the Shazam fam.
The Wonderous Cameo
Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in ‘Wonder Woman 1984.’
In the 2019 ‘Shazam!’ film, there was plenty of mention of other DC superheroes such as Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Superman. In fact, Superman (sort of) made a cameo towards the end of the film, though not played by Henry Cavill as he was only seen from the chin down. This was again mentioned in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’, acknowledging that Shazam is not the only superhero in this universe.
Audiences were quite surprised to see a full-on cameo of Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot. Wonder Woman appears during the film in Billy’s dream but her face was not revealed as the dream was interrupted by the Wizard Shazam in order to communicate with the teen. However, toward the end of the film, the Amazonian warrior appears again and as the camera continues to pan up it is revealed that it is Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, complete with her iconic theme music.
Since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as co-chairmen of DC Studios, it was revealed that they’re resetting the DC Universe after ‘The Flash’. It is uncertain whether we’ll see the likes of Gal Gadot and other DC superhero actors such as Jason Momoa or even Zachary Levi appear in future DC films as their characters. Regardless of the future, it was a treat for DC fans to see Gadot’s Wonder Woman make her appearance in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’.
The film premiered on March 14, 2023. You can still experience the superhero action-comedy in theaters. Be sure to check your local listings and Moviefone for showtimes below. ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ has a total runtime of 2 hour and 10 minutes.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ below:
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Prefer to watch experience the movie from your home? ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ will be arriving on HBO Max (soon to be renamed to Max) on May 23, 2023. If you’re not a subscribed to the streaming service, you have the option to purchase the movie or rent on VOD.
Set a few years after the events of 2019’s ‘Shazam!,’ Billy Batson (Asher Angel), Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), and their foster siblings can now transform into powerful superheroes by using the magic words “Shazam.” But with the Wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) missing, when the daughters of Atlas (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler) return to Earth to claim back their magic, it’s up to Billy and his siblings to save the wizard and stop the evil sisters before they destroy Earth.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Grace Caroline Currey about her work on ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ playing Mary in her superhero form, wearing the costume and doing stunts, her DC Comics research, Zachary Levi’s leadership on set, reuniting with the cast, and working with new cast members Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Rachel Zegler.
Grace Caroline Currey attends the World Premiere of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ in Westwood, CA. Photo Credit: Eric Charbonneau.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Grace Caroline Currey about ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods.’
Moviefone: To begin with, when did you learn that you would not only be returning for the ‘Shazam!’ sequel to play Mary Bromfield but that you would also be playing the character in her superhero form?
Grace Caroline Currey: I mean, quite a few years had passed and every year that passed I feel like our whole cast would say, “Has anyone heard anything? Are we going to get a sequel? When is it happening?” So finally I got the call that we were going to get a sequel, it was happening, and it was a very long awaited phone call. Obviously, we have a massive cast and getting everyone’s schedules together was wild. But then also getting to be told, not only was I coming back for the sequel, but that I was going to get to be in the suit as well. That was another moment of, is this real? I think it didn’t feel real until I was in fittings and actually putting a costume on and looking at myself in the mirror and going, I don’t know what’s happening, but it’s happening and I’m here. It was crazy.
MF: Was it ever explained to you why the decision was made for you to be the only actor playing both your character and their superhero counterpart?
GCC: I mean, technically speaking, and I think comic book wise, Mary didn’t visually change a whole ton when she was Mary Marvel in her comic book run. So it was actually pretty comic book accurate to have me doing both. But I will say, if you were going to have any of the kids do it, she’s the only one that makes sense because she’s the oldest, she is an adult. I think also technically speaking, when you have an adult actress playing the human form, it does visually get a little tricky when you have two adults playing the same role. I had a wonderful time getting to play Mary’s dramatic moments and then getting to play the entirety of her in her superhero form. They just said, “Let’s do it. Let’s have you be responsible for her human form, and her superhero form.” That was the best for me as an actor because I got to really plot out who Mary is through and through and be responsible for that continuity. That was the best. But yeah, the explanation was just that I’m the oldest and I’m an adult, and there you go.
MF: What was it like for you to finally wear the costume and perform some of your own stunts in the action sequences?
GCC: Oh gosh, what a level up. I guess it was a level up for the human form of our characters too because we got to ride unicorns this time around and have a lot of action going on even in our human forms. But I really love doing stunts. I really love being in the stunt harness. It feels like the harness is a superpower in a way because I put it on and suddenly I’m able to fly. I’m able to flip upside down while flying and do all sorts of fun stuff, thanks to the harness. I’m able to land from a crazy high height and do a fun superhero landing. So, definitely getting to explore playing a superhero and then nerd out and have the kind of thoughts of, how do I pose my body when I’m flying or standing, and how is this different from when I’m human? That was really fun. I was talking to someone in our costume department and I was like, this is my first day on set, and I don’t know how to stand. Why is this feeling so complicated? I know it’s not, but I grew up looking at comic books. I grew up watching the ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ and ‘Justice League.’ I wanted to look like a superhero and I wanted to make sure I was doing it right. He’s like, “You’ve got to look at Olympic athletes and their physicality. Look at the photos of athletes because that was what comic book artists were using for their illustrations. They would grab stills of runners when they’re about to run.” That was really cool, looking at those. You’ve got that athletic feeling, you’re ready for action with your hands in fists and just this kind of I’m ready feeling. Whereas when it’s Mary in her human form, she’s sitting on a beanbag chair reading her organic chemistry book in a hunched over position.
MF: Mary Bromfield (or Mary Marvel, as the character was originally known), has played an important role in the pages of DC Comics. Did you dig into any of the comic books to research your character’s history, or did you choose not to so you could approach the character with a fresh perspective?
GCC: I have a drawer of Mary comics that have been given to me. When I first played Mary, there actually was talk of, do we want to have the same actor for her human form and her superhero form? They were juggling and I was told, they hadn’t decided if I would be doing both or not. Then they ended up obviously going with the adult counterpart, which I think really sold the whole Shazam family into adults payoff. I feel like you really need that. So I had for the first one, a really dear friend of mine got me this giant box of Mary comics with different appearances and volumes, and I was just digging through trying to see, what’s the common thread of her mannerisms? She’s written a specific way that is different than some of her other appearances. We do see a little bit of this Mary in ‘The New 52’ because you’ve got the foster system, but it was still really cool to learn about her having this history of being Billy’s twin sister at one point, or the whole thing with her parents at an archeological dig storyline. All that stuff was so fun to learn about. I’m a bit like Mary, where I get really curious about things and I just want to get intellectually in it and know as much as I possibly can, and get as much knowledge as I can. So in prep for Superhero Mary, I had a lot already in my brain from the first ‘Shazam.’ If anything, it was just carrying over that established thing and just being mindful that at the end of the day, Mary’s the one with the wisdom of Solomon. That’s all.
MF: What was it like working with Zachary Levi, and as number one on the call sheet, what type of tone does he set during production?
GCC: He is incredibly on it, always. I think he’s the most on it actor I’ve ever worked with. He’s so on it that sometimes it’s like, we can relax, let’s just take five. Because when he gets on set, he’s aware of what everybody is doing, how time could be managed better, and he’s really mindful that he is not contributing to time not being managed well. So he is always on his mark, he’s always ready, and he’s mindful where we need to be. He’s almost a Mary within the realm of filmmaking and it definitely comes from his experience on ‘Chuck.’ When you work on a TV show, you are so aware of how the sausage is made. So I think him being our leader, it’s great because it doesn’t feel like we’re sitting around twiddling our thumbs, because he’s always just on it. He knows what’s going on. I know this is sad to say, but sometimes you get on sets and your number one does not know their lines. It’s so sad to say that, but sometimes they just are not prepared and it’s always the most baffling thing to encounter because it’s like, do you want to be here? I love this and this is a job. Thank goodness he is not that person ever! So we’re really lucky to have Zach on ‘Shazam’ because he’s the glue. Everybody goes back to his house at the end of the day to hang out, play video games, and eat barbecue.
MF: What was it like reuniting with the other actors that play the foster kids, and also what was it like working for the first time with the adult actors that play the superheroes?
GCC: Oh, it was really cool. I feel like I get all the presents because I’m with the kids, and I’m with the adults. I hang out with everybody the most. I selfishly felt like my joke is that I get invited to all the birthday parties. I get to be with the kid group chat and the adult group chat. I was running around the streets of Georgia with Djimon Hounsou for a lot of the movie, and he is an incredibly warm human, that’s very thoughtful and that was really cool to be. But then the superheroes, I mean, D.J. Cotrona’s become my Hollywood big brother. I’m always texting him being like, “D.J. I’ve come against this situation. What’s your advice?” Everyone in the adult cast seemed to have a moment where they were helping me with something. But working with the adults was really cool and there’s no bad egg, which is, when you have so many people, it’s rare. I’ve worked with lovely people. I don’t want to make it sound like I haven’t, but this experience was really special.
(L to R) Grace Caroline Currey and Helen Mirren attend the World Premiere of “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” in Westwood, CA. Photo Credit: Eric Charbonneau.
MF: Finally, Oscar winner Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler join the cast as the villainous Daughters of Atlas. What was your experience like working with them, and can you talk about what they brought to this sequel?
GCC: Well, the cool thing I have to say about Helen is that you really wonder what the set is going to feel like when you have someone who’s such a legend. There’s definitely this feeling where it’s like, we’re in a Helen Mirren movie. Helen’s in our movie, Dame Helen Mirren! But I got to say, I was surprised by the fact that she felt like one of us. Sometimes it can feel a little bit like, “Everybody get ready. This person’s coming to set, who is a big deal.” But no, you turn around and she’s just right there and she’s ready to go. She’s at her mark before anyone else or anyone tells her, and she’s in the stunt harness getting picked up over Zach’s head. I’m watching this thinking, I’m afraid of Helen. She’s such a boss and also so inspiring. I want to be like Helen when I grow up. It was also really fun to have moments of sitting on the steps while we were waiting to shoot with Helen because she wasn’t the actor that was going immediately back to her trailer. She was there sitting on the steps and chatting with me. Then Lucy’s jumping up and telling our props department that because of the wood table we just smashed against the wall, there are now wood chips are on my cape and they could hurt me. Out of the blue, she’s stepping in and saying, “Everybody, I want you guys to be aware that these were on her cape. I’m going, ‘Thank you,” and she’s saying, “I got your back.” Then of course, I love Rachel. I feel like everybody knows I love Rachel. Rachel’s my buddy, and she’s awesome. She’s just a good egg and she’s such a great human.
Following the events of 2019’s ‘Shazam!,’ Billy Batson (Asher Angel), Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), and their foster siblings can transform into powerful superheroes using the magic words “Shazam.” But with the Wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) missing, when the daughters of Atlas (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler) return to Earth to claim back their magic, it’s up to Billy, Freddy, and their brothers and sisters to save the wizard and stop the evil sisters.
While ‘Fury of the Gods’ is a more mature installment than the original, it loses some of its magic and charm along the way introducing several new characters, but not having enough time to adequately explore them all. Helen Mirren and Rachel Zegler are welcomed additions to the cast, and while Zachary Levi, Jack Dylan Grazer, Meagan Good, and Grace Caroline Curry all give good performances, it’s not enough to overcome a complicated script and undefined VFX characters in the third act.
I mention this only because it takes away some of the urgency of the movie, since there is a possibility everything that happens could be erased by ‘The Flash.’ It makes it difficult to care about these characters and what happens to them, since their future is up in the air after ‘The Flash’s release.
The sequel also wants to take the ‘Empire Strikes Back’ approach and be a darker toned follow up. It manages to succeed but at the sacrifice of a lot of the fun and innocence of the original. Billy’s struggle to find his place in the world, both as a hero and a young man is a well-executed theme of the film, and works for the most part but they don’t quite stick the landing. Director David F. Sandberg’s take on the original movie was brilliant, making a superhero version of ‘Big.’ But the sequel is weighed down by the darker tone and the multiple characters and villains the movie tries to juggle.
The visual effects in the movie are used pretty well, especially Kalypso’s dragon and the Dark Unicorns that appear at the end. But the finale also features numerous VFX creatures that don’t look as sharp, and muddy the final scenes of the film.
Zachary Levi is a very likable actor, and was perfectly cast in the role of Shazam in the original, portraying an adult superhero who is really a child. The actor’s own childlike enthusiasm leant itself well to the role, but with the darker tone of the sequel, the character is at times lost amongst the action and other super-powered beings. Levi does as much as he can with the material he was given, but the character fails to resonate as well as he did in the original.
Unfortunately, Asher Angel, who plays Billy Batson before he becomes Shazam, feels lost in the role. It’s a tricky thing because basically Levi and Angel are creating Billy together, but Levi easily has more screen time than his co-star, making it very hard for the audience to relate to human Billy, since we barley see him. And his emotional moments at the end of the film don’t seem to have the gravitas they deserve.
Jack Dylan Grazer, who plays Billy’s best friend Freddy Freeman, is thankfully given more to do this time around. The darker tone of the sequel mixes well with the character’s struggles, and Freddy’s relationship with Rachel Zegler’s Anthea, is at the heart of the movie. Adam Brody plays the superhero version of Freddy, but his performance doesn’t match as well with Grazer’s and it at times feels like they are playing two different characters.
Grace Caroline Currey returns to play Mary Bromfield, but in ‘Fury of the Gods,’ also plays her superhero alter ego, the only cast member to perform both roles. Currey shines as Mary and has more to do in the sequel, as she is still a mentor to her foster siblings, but is also struggling to balance college with crime fighting.
The other standout from Shazam’s superhero family is Meagan Good, who plays Darla Dudley in her superhero form. Good’s performance is one of the most emotional and funniest of the film, and the actress perfectly captures the young and enthusiastic attitude of her co-star, Faithe Herman, who portrays Darla in her human form.
Djimon Hounsou also reprises his role as the Wizard Shazam, but his performance is very one-note, and is not given the screen time to really make the character matter to the overall story.
Lucy Liu gives a fun and villainous performance as Kalypso, but the actress is at her best when partnered with Helen Mirren, rather than when she is on her own. Lui definitely excels in the action sequences, and Kalypso’s dragon is one of the best VFX creatures in the movie.
Oscar winner Helen Mirren gives a very menacing performance as Hespera, and is clearly having a lot of fun playing the villain. The actress is commanding in the role, a great advisory for Levi’s Shazam, and has strong chemistry with Lui and Zegler. There is a pop culture reference to ‘The Fast and the Furious’ franchise in the movie, and the look on Mirren’s face, who herself is a member of that series, was a fun bit of meta humor. Mirren handles her action sequences well, and injects just enough humanity into the character that she is believable, and not just evil for evil’s sake.
But the real standout of the film is Rachel Zegler as Anthea, the youngest of Atlas’ daughters and sister to Hespera and Kalypso. She begins the movie as Anne, a classmate of Freddy’s, who he develops a crush on. As Anne, Zegler is sweet and innocent, but not too much that her reveal as one of the sisters seems out of place. The actress makes the twist in the character completely believable and not too much of a stretch for the audience. She has great chemistry with Glazer, and you really believe that Anthea likes him, and is not just using him for her sister’s evil plans. Zegler has strong chemistry with Mirren and Liu as well, and you can understand how she could get caught up in their power grab.
Do Any Other DC Characters Cameo in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods?’
Yes. Much like the Superman cameo in the original ‘Shazam,’ there is a DCEU hero that appears in the movie, but is only seen from the neck down. However, surprisingly, the real performer that plays that character in other DCEU films does reappear for a cameo by the film’s end. It’s not in an end-credit or mid-credit scene, and I won’t say which character or performer returns, but I will say the scene takes place in the third act and is a bit more than a cameo, but not much. The character in question is played by a performer who’s future in the new DC Universe has been in question, but hopefully their appearance in ‘Fury of the Gods’ will shed some light on that.
Final Thoughts
While not a bad movie by any stretch of the imagination, ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ tried to take too much on, with multiple character arcs, several new villains, and a VFX heavy third act. There are some fun moments and good performances in the movie, but the filmmakers tried to take on too much with this sequel, and with the DCEU ending soon anyways, the stakes just don’t seem that high at all.
‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
Following the events of 2019’s ‘Shazam!,’ Billy Batson (Asher Angel), Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), and their foster siblings can transform into powerful superheroes using the magic words “Shazam.” But with the Wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) missing, when the daughters of Atlas (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler) return to Earth to claim back their magic, it’s up to Billy, Freddy, and their brothers and sisters to save the wizard and stop the evil sisters.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods?’
‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ once again stars Asher Angel and Zachary Levi (‘American Underdog‘) as Billy Batson/Shazam, Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody as Freddy Freeman, Meagan Good and Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Ross Butler and Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, D.J. Cotrona and Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield, and Djimon Hounsou as the Wizard Shazam.
Joining the sequel are Oscar winner Helen Mirren (‘The Queen’) as Hespera, Lucy Liu (‘Charlie’s Angels’) as Kalypso, and Rachel Zegler (‘West Side Story’) as Anthea.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Zachery Levi about his work on ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ how Billy has changed since the first film, what playing this character has meant to him, working with Mirren, Liu and Zegler, and what fans can expect from the sequel.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, and Lucy Liu.
Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to someone sitting down to watch this movie right now to prepare for the experience they are about to have?
Zachary Levi: I don’t know that there’s anything I can say that can adequately prepare you for the amazing adventure you’re about to go on. But listen, if you liked the first movie, and I really hope that you did, I hope everybody got to see that, we were able to capture the same DNA. The same nugget of charm and humor and heart and family and adventure, all that stuff. We protected that. We brought that over to the new movie. But then we got more money and more time to make it even splashier and bigger. We got dragons! I mean, it’s all that stuff, so you’re welcome. You’re in for a treat.
MF: In this sequel, Billy is trying to find his place in the world both as a hero and as a young man. Can you talk about that and your approach to playing the character this time around?
ZL: Now it’s about three years later in life. He went from 14 to 17, almost 18 now, and that’s a big jump in a kid’s life. The rest of the kids, they’ve all been superheroes now for about three years and attempting to be a super team, but bumbling through that a lot. So Billy knowing that he is the leader, he’s responsible for giving all the other kids their powers, he takes it very seriously. He wants to make sure that he’s doing his best as a leader, as a brother, and as a son. Simultaneously, he’s about to turn 18 and age out of the foster system, and he’s terrified that he’s going to lose this family that he worked so hard and took so long to find. So that’s kind of where he’s at emotionally as we meet him in this movie.
MF: What has it meant to you to play this character over these two films, to work in the DC universe and for so many young kids be the embodiment of Shazam?
ZL: It’s the coolest dude. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamt of being an actor, and I’m an actor. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamt about being a superhero, a legitimate one, and I get to be as legitimate a superhero as anyone gets to be, pretending to be one. This particular character is so delightful because I was a huge fan of Tom Hanks in ‘Big’ and Christopher Reeve and ‘Superman,’ and I get to do both in one role. It’s a dream come true, honestly. Listen, I got to have fun in the Marvel universe (‘Thor: The Dark World’). Now I get to be my own man in the DC universe. I mean, my little nerdy heart is geeking out on the highest levels. It’s so fun.
MF: Finally, what was it like working with Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler on this project?
ZL: Delightful on every level, honestly. They are just exquisite human beings. Lovely, talented, so professional, but also just so human and humble. They were delightful to work with on set and on camera and just as delightful, if not more, off camera and living life.
(L to R) Claire Danes and Jesse Eisenberg star in FX on Hulu’s ‘Fleishman Is in Trouble.’
Premiering on FX on Hulu beginning November 17th is the new series ‘Fleishman Is in Trouble,’ which is based on the novel of the same name as Taffy Brodesser-Akner.
The series stars Jessie Eisenberg (‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice‘) as Toby Fleishman, a recently divorced doctor who is new to the world of dating apps. But when his ex-wife Rachel (Claire Danes) disappears, leaving him alone with his kids, he realizes that he will never find out what happened to her if he doesn’t first examine what happened to their marriage.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jessie Eisenberg and Claire Danes about their work on ‘Fleishman Is in Trouble,’ the story, their characters, and taking their work home with them.
Jesse Eisenberg as Toby Fleishman in FX on Hulu’s ‘Fleishman Is in Trouble.’ Photo courtesy of Hulu.
Moviefone: To begin with, Jessie, can you talk about how Toby is dealing with his divorce? It’s not going the way he expected, is it?
Jessie Eisenberg: Yeah, exactly. Nor did the marriage. It’s kind of like when you’re married, and your hope is that you’ll be a single unit, that not only it never disintegrates, but that you’ll kind of flourish as one. But for Toby, he was so rigid in what he wanted her to be, that he could be nothing except disappointed. Toby is first attracted to Rachel because she is self-possessed, ambitious in an interesting way, and she stands up for herself and he sees in her an amazing, stable life partner.
But then what he sees happen is all of those great qualities become exaggerated in her, that she becomes ambitious to a fault, that she neglects the family, that she becomes so self-determined and so self-reliant that she doesn’t need us and kind of severs an emotional connection. So, it’s all of these things that seemed at the onset as wonderful assets turn into something that he considers toxic and unsustainable. What’s amazing about the show is that it also switches perspectives and you see the show from her angle. Then you see that actually his assessment of her is completely coming from his own rigid sense of a narrow worldview and narrow set of ethics.
MF: Claire, do you think Rachel is misunderstood? How would you describe your character?
Claire Danes: Sure, I mean, she’s misunderstood to herself too. Toby doesn’t have X-ray vision. Even if you were an actual analyst doctor, it’s very hard to see your partner clearly. But I think she doesn’t know how much trauma she’s carrying and neither does he. So, neither of them knows that this ambition is also a coping mechanism, and is as largely to do with her not fleeing from a lot of pain and she wasn’t sufficiently loved. She’s found ways of managing that, which seem very impressive, but are actually kind of feeble.
Claire Danes as Rachel in FX on Hulu’s ‘Fleishman Is in Trouble.’ Photo courtesy of Hulu.
So yes, they both can’t outrun it indefinitely. She can’t. This is the outcome, and it’s gory and it’s graphic, and it’s very unpleasant. But hopefully they are able to see themselves more clearly, and sadly they can only do that outside of the relationship.
MF: Finally, as actors, do you ever have the experience where you go home and realize you are still acting like your character? Do you ever accidentally take your work home with you?
CD: Definitely. I think because we were arguing, we were bickering incessantly on set and there’s something kind of infectious and addictive about that. It’s almost like cursing, you can’t turn it off. So, occasionally I’d come home and be in a combative mode just because I had been doing those drills all day long. I’d been sort of conditioned to be in that mode. The characters are definitely mired in that pattern.
Claire Danes as Rachel in FX on Hulu’s ‘Fleishman Is in Trouble.’ Photo courtesy of Hulu.
Also joining the cast: Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, Max Greenfield, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Sam Richardson (“Veep”), and Molly Shannon.
Mulligan will play a young woman who takes revenge for her tragic past on all the predatory man who crosses her path.
The movie has already started production in Los Angeles. It will mark the feature directorial debut of Emerald Fennell, who will also write and produce the film.
Her short film, “Careful How You Go,” was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Fest.
“I am beyond excited to be working with so many impossibly talented and wonderful people on ‘Promising Young Woman,’” Fennell said. “Frankly, I feel lucky to be allowed anywhere in the vicinity of so many geniuses, and I can’t wait to bring this twisted tale to life.”
