‘Shazam’ and ‘Lights Out’ director David F. Sandberg will direct the new ‘Amityville Horror’.
Amazon MGM Studios is developing the movie.
Another indie take is already in development.
Despite the terror that realtors would probably like to ignore in their listings, it seems more and more people are looking to move into the house that is central to ‘The Amityville Horror’.
Back in July, we learned that writer/directors Joseph and Vanessa Winter were working with the producers of ‘Barbarian’ and ‘Companion’ to develop an independent take unmoored from the franchise continuity. But that’s not the only new movie in the works.
James Brolin in ‘The Amityville Horror’. Photo: American International Pictures.
The ‘Amityville’ story has its roots in Jay Ansen’s 1977 novel ‘The Amityville Horror’, which was partly used as inspiration for 1979’s eponymous movie.
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg, it starred James Brolin and Margot Kidder, grossed more than $86 million against a modest budget and spawned a raft of follow-ups and reboots.
But stepping further back than that, there is a scary real-life history powering it all. That began in 1974, when Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his parents and four siblings in their home at 112 Ocean in Amityville, New York.
A year or so after the horrific crime, George and Kathy Lutz, along with their three children, moved into the house, unaware of its dark past. And shortly after settling in, they claimed to experience a series of unsettling paranormal phenomena — among them, unexplained noises, cold spots, foul odors, and sightings of strange apparitions. After just 28 days, the family fled the house, unable to endure the alleged supernatural occurrences any longer.
When will this new ‘Amityville Horror’ be on screens?
As far as generic horror entries go, ‘Until Dawn’ is…all right. Directed by David F. Sandberg (who helmed the horror outings ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Annabelle: Creation’ before going down the superhero rabbit hole with two ‘Shazam!’ films) and written by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman (the latter having penned all three ‘Annabelle’ films and the recent adaptation of ‘Salem’s Lot,’ which he also directed), the movie is based on a 2015 survival horror game released for PlayStation. Except that – in the time-honored tradition of how Hollywood has treated most video games – the game’s story has been thrown out entirely in favor of an all-original tale loosely set in the game’s world.
Gamers may (rightly) complain about the disrespect (although it didn’t much hurt ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ did it?), but this version of ‘Until Dawn’ still has to succeed as a horror movie. It’s entertaining in a superficial way — and repetitive in the way that games can be — but it ultimately succumbs to its own thin nature and the lack of real stakes. While the game took inspiration from slasher movies and some other horror classics, the movie goes all-out in its homages to the genre to the point of distraction. What Sandberg and Dauberman, who certainly know their genre, might have intended as a celebration of horror ends up being a warmed-over pastiche.
It’s been a year since Clover’s (Ella Rubin) sister Melanie (Maia Mitchell) took off for parts unknown following the death of their mother, and now Clover is convinced that something is amiss. Along with four friends – ex Max (Michael Cimino), bestie Megan (Ji-young Yoo), and lovers Nina (Odessa A’zion) and Abe (Belmont Cameli) – she tracks her sibling as far as a remote area named Glore Valley, where it turns out that there have been a number of strange disappearances.
And that’s the least of it. The gang of five drive through pouring rain into the valley, only to emerge at the area’s Welcome Center – with the rain still cascading around the little patch of dry land that the center sits on. Plus this has to be the most inhospitable welcome center of all time, as Clover and the others are soon stalked and brutally dispatched once night falls by a masked figure wielding a pickaxe – only, to their surprise, to wake up again at the same point earlier in the day at which they arrived in the valley.
As this goes on, the group is viciously murdered again and again – by the slasher, by poisoned water that makes them explode, and by other gruesome and painful means – only to do it again the next day. It becomes apparent that they’re caught in some kind of time loop and can only die a certain amount of times. And each time the cycle starts anew, there are more buildings, more monsters, and more ways to get killed – with the only clue about how to escape coming from an apparition in the form of a witch: “Either survive the night or become part of it.”
As mentioned earlier, the plot of ‘Until Dawn’ the movie has little to do with the game, save for some references to a mine collapse and a handful of Easter eggs regarding the main characters of the game and the actors who voice them. Instead, the movie utilizes every horror trope it can get its claws on: a masked slasher, a witch in an old house, a buried town, evil dolls, demonic possession, flesh-eating ghouls (here called wendigos, another nod to the game, although they’re not like any wendigo we’ve ever read about), and even a giant monster stomping around the woods (more like the wendigo we know).
Equally comprehensive is the list of movies that ‘Until Dawn’ pulls from: ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,’ ‘Friday the 13th,’ the first two ‘Evil Dead’ movies, ‘Poltergeist,’ ‘The Descent,’ ‘The Blair Witch Project,’ ‘My Bloody Valentine’…the references go on and on. Eventually it all gets explained (by Peter Stormare, playing a version of the character he voiced in the game), although the reason why all this is happening seems somewhat vague and underwhelming after 90 minutes of watching the kids get mutilated, mangled, and mauled in every way possible.
The gore effects, to be sure, are vivid and plentiful, a nice throwback to the hard-R rated cinematic abattoirs of the 1970s and ’80s. They’re fun to watch in the moment, channeling fleeting sensations of the giddy vibe that accompanied watching such outrageous effects decades ago. But the film can’t really rise above the nostalgia it invokes: an attempt to suggest that the ghastly events occurring in Glore Valley are a manifestation of Clover’s fear and grief rings hollow, since why would she manifest those as flesh-eating monsters?
Sandberg does wring some nicely atmospheric moments out of the premise early in the film, but once we get past the initial revelation of the time loop, the script just goes in circles itself, the crew adding a little more knowledge to their skimpy arsenal every time they respawn…kind of like a video game.
Not much to work with here, really. This is sort of a classic ensemble of fairly unmemorable teens/twenty-somethings who are held back by flatly drawn characters and in some cases, their own relative lack of experience. The actor who probably comes off the best is Odessa A’zion, who was stuck in another woeful horror retread a few years back (Hulu’s ‘Hellraiser’), but can muster up some presence, charm, and inner strength (see her performance in the excellent ‘Fresh Kills’), earning her the most cheer-worthy moments.
No one here is bad, and the cast shows considerable commitment to the often physically demanding story, with all them dragged, beaten, stabbed, blown up, violently poisoned, and generally roughed up throughout the movie. But lead Ella Rubin doesn’t do much in particular to distinguish herself from plenty of similar characters, and the male leads are handsome but bland. The only other actor in the movie is, of course, the always offbeat Stormare, who can do this kind of thing in his sleep and makes a meal out of saying the name “Clover.”
‘Until Dawn’ is slickly made, with some nice production design elements and a few spooky moments. Aficionados of the games may be very disappointed with the lack of real connection to the source material. When they’re on their game (no pun intended), both Sandberg and Dauberman can bring the horror goods (the former’s ‘Lights Out’ and the latter’s ‘Annabelle Comes Home’ are both underrated). There’s no question that ‘Until Dawn’ is programmed to be a crowd-pleaser – the film keeps piling on the effects and gore with increasing intensity.
However, it’s all in the service of characters and a story that are not so much flimsy as just a string of sequences meant to unearth memories of other, better movies. Genre fans might have fun picking out all the references even as they get tired of the circular narrative beats, but it only exacerbates the perception that the filmmakers have no original ideas of their own, or even interesting takes on the genre tropes they’re supposedly celebrating. If you can survive that to the end credits – never mind dawn – you might enjoy yourself.
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What is the plot of ‘Until Dawn’?
Clover (Ella Rubin) and four of her friends travel to a remote valley in search of her missing sister, only for the group to find themselves trapped in a nightmare in which all of them are killed by a vicious murderer each night – only to wake up and relive the horror again unless they can survive until dawn.
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.
(L to R) Dwayne Johnson in ‘Black Adam’ and Zachary Levi in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods.’
There are new revelations coming to light about what has been happening behind the scenes of DC movies. But before we go any further, we should specify that there are spoilers ahead for one of the end credits scenes of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’.
According to various sources, Dwayne Johnson –– star, producer and PR figurehead behind the ‘Black Adam’ movie –– vetoed the appearance of ‘Adam’ characters from the Justice Society of America showing up at the end of the Zachary Levi-starring superhero sequel.
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What was supposed to happen at the end of the ‘Shazam!’ sequel?
Here’s where we get into spoiler territory: in the first of two end credits scenes, Levi’s Shazam was supposed to be approached by Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and at least one other member of the Justice Society to join their team.
In the final film, it’s actually Agent Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee) from ‘The Suicide Squad’ and ‘Peacemaker’ who show up to drop word that the Society wants Shazam. It’s a little more confusing, since that pair have nothing to do with the Justice Society, but the swap was necessary when the Rock blocked the original plan.
“There were supposed to be characters from the Justice Society, but that fell apart three days before we were going to roll cameras. So, Peter Safran, who produced this movie and ‘Peacemaker’, made some calls, and thankfully, Jen Holland and Steve Agee were able to come by on very short notice.”
Johnson, of course, was attached to the role of Black Adam for more than a decade before the movie actually arrived last year. While the original plan had been for the historic Shazam antagonist (who has moved closer to anti-hero status as the years have gone by) to show up as the villain in the first ‘Shazam!’ movie, Johnson pushed for him to get his own film.
And in advance of ‘Black Adam’, he began focusing more on the idea of Adam going up against Superman rather than Shazam, with Henry Cavill (who, when he was still scheduled to return as the character, showing up in a post-credits scene in ‘Black Adam).
Of course, all of that was planned before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over running the DC Studios arm of Warner Bros. Discovery and have largely decided to wipe the slate clean and start over. And it’s worth pointing out, before ‘Black Adam’ underperformed at the box office.
The studio is naturally hoping there will be less of this sort of chaos now that Gunn and Safran are on board and overseeing more of the connections between movies and characters, but time will tell.
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) Ben Affleck and Jason Momoa on the set of ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.’ Photo courtesy of Jason Momoa’s Instagram account.
Warner Bros. Discovery has, according to Deadline, decided to shift the release dates for a batch of its upcoming movies. And it mostly means that those expecting to see James Wan’s ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ next March will be waiting a few months longer.
No, the much-anticipated ‘Aquaman’ sequel isn’t suddenly headed off into a vault as a tax write-off. Instead, the reasoning is that the backlog of visual effects work means that Wan and co. need more time to finish the FX-heavy superhero sequel.
The result? Instead of its original planned March 17th, 2023 release in theaters, the new movie will be a DC Christmas present for fans, releasing on December 25th next year.
Disney is already busy priming the pump for the sequel’s arrival by yanking the original from tis Disney+ servers and putting the movie back in theaters from September 22nd in a shiny new 4K remastered version.
Anticipation for the next ‘Avatar’ remains high despite naysayers trying to claim that it won’t have the same impact. Even if it gets close, ‘The Way of Water’ will be a giant movie, and no one should ever bet against James Cameron.
So ‘Shazam’s second outing (which sees Zachary Levi back leading the cast as the titular hero, who transforms upon saying his name from more regular teen Billy Batson, played by Asher Angel) will now reside in the much more comfortable March 17th slot vacated by its watery superhero sibling, and won’t have to worry about fighting for regular screens and IMAX slots with Cameron’s behemoth.
It also represents Warners considering a March slot to be a winner following this year’s ‘The Batman’.
‘The Conjuring’s ever-expanding franchise continues, meanwhile, with ‘The Nun 2’, directed by Michael Chaves, set for September 8th, 2023. Fellow horror ‘Salem’s Lot’ had been penciled in for April but is now awaiting a new date.
Those weren’t the only announcements. A ‘House Party’ reboot is headed our way this December 9th, while Lee Cronin’s ‘Evil Dead Rise’ is scheduled for an April 21st slot. Both of those movies had originally been targeted for HBO Max, which will add fuel to the fire of those rightfully upset that ‘Batgirl’ is being denied a similar chance.
Finally, Warners also confirmed an untitled event film (whether that’s DC or something else) for February 10th next year, to take advantage of Super Bowl Weekend.
Jason Momoa in 2018’s ‘Aquaman.’
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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.
