Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with acclaimed actress Ashley Judd about her work on ‘Lazareth’, her first reaction to the screenplay, how COVID informed her performance, her character’s devotion to her home, working with Sarah Pidgeon and Katie Douglas, and collaborating with director Alec Tibaldi on set.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Ashley Judd in ‘Lazareth.’ Photo: Vertical.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of your character that you were excited to explore on screen?
Ashley Judd: I love that question. So, when I read the screenplay for ‘Lazareth’, which the director Alec Tibaldi co-wrote, I found it very quirky and original. Things that stood out to me were, for example, my two nieces with whom I live in this remote, isolated cabin in the woods, apart from society, were that we were egalitarian. We all have voice and vote on matters affecting our food supply, provisions for the winter. When we vote, we tap our fingers on the table, and the girls forage and we hunt fish and trap to sustain ourselves. We dress for dinner formally every night. There’s a sense of place, there’s a sense of home, there’s a sense of ritual. It reminded me of Wendell Berry, this great Kentuckian. So, I just thought it was very fresh, which I liked. Of course, Alec was prescient because he was writing about a pandemic before the global pandemic.
MF: Can you talk about how living through the Covid pandemic helped inform your performance and do you think you would have given the same performance if Covid had never happened?
AJ: That’s an interesting question. I think that the themes of fear, freedom, isolation, and protection are universal, and they’re hardwired into our DNA. For our survival, we have a fundamental need for connection, safety and belonging, because if we were cut off from our people, we couldn’t make it without our tribe. So, what I’ve done is I’ve created this tribe and othered and scapegoated everybody else. Then when one of the others arrives, my sense of threat is so heightened and so aroused and so escalated, but it’s totally switching that up for my nieces and there’s all this rupture. It’s just very emotionally dysregulating for everybody, which hopefully makes for very interesting watching.
(L to R) Ashley Judd, Katie Douglas and Sarah Pidgeon in ‘Lazareth.’ Photo: Vertical.
MF: Can you talk about what Lazareth means to Lee and what she’s willing to do to protect it and her nieces?
AJ: So, Lazareth of course is the name of our home, and it’s a profound sense of place and belonging. It is safety, it’s legacy, it’s heritage, it’s connection to the girls’ parents, my sister, who is now deceased, and it’s security because it’s the future. It’s where we are going to be able to sustain ourselves and stay safe from catastrophic harm. So, it’s really everything.
MF: What was it like working with Sarah Pidgeon and Katie Douglas?
AJ: Yeah, they are so wonderful. I got to see Sarah Pidgeon last night in her dynamite play, ‘Stereophonic’, the hit of Broadway, nominated for the most Tonys ever in the history of Broadway. She is just so natural and alive and real and human, and so is Katie. They’re just emotionally full and wonderful young women with whom to spend time. We gathered in my tiny house on the Green River where I lived during filming and sat on the floor and just had that courageous vulnerability to really drop into a pretty intimate friendship our first night.
(L to R) Sarah Pidgeon and Katie Douglas in ‘Lazareth.’ Photo: Vertical.
MF: Finally, what was it like collaborating with writer and director Alec Tibaldi on set?
AJ: Alec is a very confident performance director. I mean, he really had a strong voice. He asked for a lot of takes, which really thrilled me because it was fun to be nimble and pivot. When I’m doing the reading at the beginning, the voiceover, he’d say, “Try it like you’re imparting to children a moral fable. Try it like you’re a kindergarten teacher with a history. Make it very ominous.” He just had all these different ideas, one take to the next, and it was great to just have a lot of freedom on set.
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What is the plot of ‘Lazareth’?
Lee (Ashley Judd) protects her orphaned nieces Imogen (Katie Douglas) and Maeve (Sarah Pidgeon) from a self-destructing world, raising them in isolation until an outsider threatens their peaceful existence.
Who is in the cast of ‘Lazareth’?
Ashley Judd as Lee
Katie Douglas as Imogen
Sarah Pidgeon as Maeve
Asher Angel as Owen
(L to R) Asher Angel and Katie Douglas in ‘Lazareth.’ Photo: Vertical.
Inspired by true and harrowing events, ‘On Fire’ tells the story of an ordinary man (Peter Facinelli) that finds his world suddenly torn apart as devastating wildfires rip through the surrounding countryside. With precious moments ticking by, he must flee with his son (Asher Angel) and pregnant wife (Fiona Dourif) if they have any hope of surviving the rapid forces of mother nature.
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Who is in the cast of ‘On Fire’?
Peter Facinelli as “Dave Laughlin” in the survival drama/thriller, ‘On Fire,’ a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Cineverse.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with co-director Peter Facinelli about ‘On Fire,’ his first reaction to the screenplay, the themes of the movie, how he came to co-direct with Nick Lyon, and the practical and visual effects that were utilized for the movie.
(L to R) Asher Angel as “Clayton Laughlin,” Peter Facinelli as “Dave Laughlin,” and Fiona Dourif as “Sarah Laughlin” in the survival drama/thriller, ‘On Fire,’ a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Cineverse.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Facinelli and co-director Nick Lyon.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what were some of the themes that you were excited to explore?
Peter Facinelli: Well, when I read the script, it was very poignant to me because there were so many fires that had been in the news. Every other weekend, it seemed like there were fires happening and I thought, well this film is interesting because it’s kind of a throwback to the old family survival films. It’s about something that’s actually happening right now, and it gives you more of this introspective of this one family. You look at that family and think, ‘Well, that could be me. That could be my family.” A lot of times, in the news, you can see this devastation. You see these fires and it’s heartbreaking. Your heart goes out to them, but you’re not connected with them in the same way as if it were somebody you knew or your family. Then, people go back the next day and they get their chai lattes. They go back to work and they’re still thinking about it, but there’s no face to it. So, I thought, this movie, it has this broader family survival film on the outside, but when you get into it, there’s a lot of takeaways. To me, that’s what I was drawn to, those takeaways. The fact that at the end of the film, we could celebrate firemen and 911 operators, and give you a taste of what it’s like to be a 911 operator because they don’t really get explored much in film. Then, to watch the firemen, they’re universal heroes to me. I have family in the fire department. Then, you have the family in and of itself and there’s a lot of takeaways within that, not just it being a family that’s trying to outrun a fire or trying to survive. When they start this movie they have mountainous issues already. The dad’s going paycheck to paycheck. He’s got a company that could be failing. He’s got a baby on the way. His dad is sick. He’s paying his dad’s medical bills. These are all things that are weighing on their family and causing stress on their family unit. Then, this fire happens and it’s this harrowing experience, but when they start to face this fire and get through it, all of those other things become anthills. They’re just trying to survive. Then they become a family that’s actually leaning on each other and growing through this experience. I think they come out of the other end. I hate to say better for it because it was such a horrible experience, but they come out of it with a different appreciation for it, and I think that’s a great message to not sweat the small stuff. When you have your family, when you have health, when you have each other, you can get through anything. That’s a great takeaway. In this film, the dad is doing his best, but he doesn’t have all the answers. I love that each family member has a heroic moment. Each one of them rises to the occasion and they wouldn’t have gotten through it on their own. They really needed to push each other, to support each other, and when push comes to shove, they carried through and they pushed each other. That’s what a family is, and that to me, I connected with that.
Co-Writer/Co-Director Nick Lyon behind the scenes of the survival drama/thriller, ‘On Fire,’ a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Nick Lyon.
MF: Can you talk about the unusual way you ended up co-directing the movie with Nick Lyon?
PF: Well, I didn’t sign on to direct the film nor did I have any intention to. I just signed on as the lead. When I came on to the film, Nick was very collaborative and we found a wonderful collaborative nature. I felt like he had this script that we were continually working on to like, “Let’s get the dialogue even better and let’s work together with the other actors to make the dialogue richer. Let’s work to have more setups and payoffs in the film.” We continued to elevate and we really enjoyed this collaborative spirit, and then Nick got COVID, and the captain of the ship was down. I think Nick to his credit was like, “We couldn’t go back to port. We’re a small independent movie. We had to carry on.” With his blessing, he was like, “Look, I know you understand what I’m trying to capture. I know you’ve directed.” I think we really had a respect for each other. As director and as writers, we were working together, so when he passed the torch and said, “Okay, carry on and finish this,” I was left with that task. I really didn’t have time to sit there and be overwhelmed. It was just like, “Okay, let’s go.” I jumped in and did what I could to collect all the material we needed for the edit. Then, that collaborative spirit kind of spilled into the editing room because I had directed some of the nights and then it became like, “Okay, well, let’s shape this, and what about this part?” Then, the music and collaboration on that. Then, at the end of the day, I still wasn’t expecting a co-directing credit at all, nor was I asking for one. But he looked at it and said, “I feel like this is really our film and I want to celebrate that.” So, we ended up taking a co-directing credit, but it was the experience all around. It actually in a lot of ways made me a better actor. You want to service the director differently. I could do this or that but I want to make sure you get the pieces you need because this is your vision, and you come with ideas, but it’s always like, “I’m in service to this director.” But on this, it became about me as an actor giving as much as I could to the other actors to make them as good as they could be because I needed them to be good, and the better they were, then the better they made me. I hope to take that into all of my films because it was such a more freeing experience when I wasn’t trying to please somebody, but when I was just trying to give everything I could to make the other people good.
(L to R) Asher Angel as “Clayton Laughlin,” Fiona Dourif as “Sarah Laughlin,” and Peter Facinelli as “Dave Laughlin” in the survival drama/thriller, ‘On Fire,’ a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Cineverse.
MF: Finally, can you talk about the practical and visual effects utilized for this film and the challenges of shooting the fire sequences?
PF: Well, Nick does a lot of smaller action films, so he brought a lot of those techniques to the table. He had a lot of lighting techniques, and a lot of smoke techniques. As an actor, when I showed up the first couple of days, I was like, “There’s no fire?” We weren’t allowed to put a fire in the woods because we were in the real woods, and rightfully so. So, a lot of it was about using our imagination to react off of things that weren’t there. It was a lot of feeling like green screen acting, looking up into the sky and looking at ember’s floating. It’s like, I know that I’m looking at a tree going on fire. I know that this house behind me is on fire. But I have to imagine that. I have to imagine this heat. When you’re near a fire and you can feel the heat on you, you have to use your imagination for all of that. We had flame bars, but they were off in the distance or in the foreground, and we relied heavily on the CGI. That’s risky because CGI fire could look really bad, but we worked really hand in hand with the CGI supervisor. He did such a great job, and we’d be like, “No, give it more texture. Let’s make it more this color. Give it a little less orange and more black in there because you want to feel the smoke.” That in itself was a process, a very dutiful process to get to. Now, I look at it, and we do have some stock fire footage mixed in with a lot of CGI footage. A lot of times, I don’t remember which one is which and that’s good. That’s when you know it worked. So, we relied a lot on the actors to bring their imagination.
(L to R) Lance Henriksen as “George Laughlin” and Peter Facinelli as “Dave Laughlin” in the survival drama/thriller, ‘On Fire,’ a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Cineverse.
SAG-AFTRA has approved an interim agreement for ‘On Fire’ since the film is being released by Cineverse, an independent, non-AMPTP affiliated distributor. Under the terms, members “may work on these productions without being in violation of the strike order,” per the guild. The entire team of ‘On Fire’ expresses their gratitude to SAG-AFTRA for allowing the cast to promote ‘On Fire’ during this challenging time for the industry.
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.
If you have Dwayne Johnson in your film, you bring Dwayne Johnson.
At a Comic-Con that has seen several talent dial in via video link because of filming duties or Covid concerns, the artist formerly known as The Rock was not going to miss the chance to make a big entrance at Hall H of the San Diego Comic-Con.
“I missed you guys so dang much, I can’t even tell you,” said Levi to an energized Hall H, taking in the first panel of the day, after a ‘Shazam!’ sizzle reel showed.
The superhero sequel continues the story of Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who, when he says the phrase “Shazam!” transforms into a grown superhero (Levi) with Superman-like powers.
At the end of the first film, Billy’s foster family also gained powers, and since then, the family has been working on fighting crime – though not always together.
They’ll need to unite, though, when a new menace in the shape of the Sisters of Atlas (Helen Mirren’s Hespera and Lucy Liu’s Kalypso) arrive on Earth none too happy that some “children” have the powers of the gods. Fight! Fight! Fight!
“We got this really cool look into all of the kids getting their super powers at the end of the first movie… We’ve all been flying around doing various missions trying to help the city of Philadelphia and the world at large,” Levi explains. “We’re all just trying to figure it out.”
“It adds for a really great interesting bedrock of reality that you can connect to as a human being because we’re super heroes but we’re human beings,” Levi added.
With Levi, director David F. Sandberg, Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Lucy Liu on stage, there’s also time for a video message from Helen Mirren (who plays one of the big villains) and Rachel Zegler.
Mirren was in typically fun form, jokingly explaining that the reason she isn’t there in person was because of a fight she got into when she attended as a fan in 2019 and someone cut the line. Well, not a fight… “he went down instantly!” Dame Helen, never change.
And that wasn’t all. “I absolutely loved playing Hespera,” she said. “She’s such a baddie and a bad ass. And, Zach, I had such a lovely time kicking the shit out of you!…Yay, pussy power!”
The panel continued with a mixture of fan questions and the usual dodges about cameos or the future. But asked if there will be a third movie? “Okay, fine, we’ll do another one,” Levi said. “If you guys go and see this one and you like it then there’s a good chance the bosses will want it.”
Finally, what about a crossover with ‘Black Adam’, whose title character in the books has a deep connection to Shazam? They’re not saying. ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ lands in theaters on December 21st.
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Talking of the superhero – or super-anti-hero, as he’s a powerful figure who fights for justice his way – played by Dwayne Johnson, he was next up.
And it being Johnson, he couldn’t just walk on stage. Instead, fog and lightning (the latter on screen) filled Hall H, and Johnson arrived flying, in costume.
“The DC Universe will never be the same again,” he intoned.
He was gone just as quickly, before the cast and director filed on stage. ‘Black Adam’ comes from ‘Jungle Cruise’s Jaume Collet-Serra and will feature a team new to the DC films, The Justice Society of America. That includes Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan).
Johnson was soon back on stage, dressed this time in more regular attire, and talking up his journey with the movie.
“The journey for Black Adam, it has been a long journey, fueled with passion, with commitment, with grit, Johnson said. “It’s been easily over 10 years. I’ve been working with Jaume for about five years now and so that’s when he came on board for this. The journey has been an incredible one. I love coming to Comic-Con. To be here in Hall H, representing a DC anti-hero is a dream come true. The dream, having been in the business for years now, I’d bring movies here and hope you guys would like them but this is a dream come true.”
Johnson and co. introduced a sizzle reel (which did not go online, though a new sneak peek can be seen below). The con reel revealed one heretofore unknown wrinkle: ‘Suicide Squad’s Amanda Waller – in the shape of Viola Davis – appears in the movie.
The director finished work on the movie the night before the panel, and the cast has seen it. Of course, they seemed happy with it.
And there were some panel-standard answers, such as Hodge admitting he thought it was a prank when Johnson called to tell him he got the part. There was even time for a joke about Kevin Hart because what Dwayne Johnson appearance is complete without that?
One final stunt? Everyone in Hall H got an IMAX cinema ticket to see ‘Black Adam’.
If there was a disappointment to be found in the panel, it’s that Warner Bros. and DC didn’t bring any other movies. No ‘Aquaman’ sequel, no ‘Flash’ (though given the issues the studio has been having with star Ezra Miller, perhaps that’s not really a surprise).
Even with the huge scale of this panel (and the obvious impact of the Rock), it’s hard not to think that Marvel might be along to top it later in the day.
‘Black Adam’ will fly into theaters on October 21st.
