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.
In season two of ‘Harlem,’ after blowing up her career and disrupting her love life, Camille (Meagan Good) has to figure out how to put the pieces back together. While Tye (Jerrie Johnson) considers her future, Quinn (Grace Byers) goes on a journey of self-discovery, and Angie’s (Shoniqua Shandai) career takes a promising turn.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Meagan Good and Jerrie Johnson to talk about their work on ‘Harlem’ season 2, how their characters have changed since last season, what will happen to them this season, and the overall themes of the series.
(L to R) Jerrie Johnson and Meagan Good star in Prime Video’s ‘Harlem’ Season 2.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Good, Johnson, Grace Byers, Shoniqua Shandai, Tyler Lepley, and Tracy Oliver.
Moviefone: To begin with, Meagan, can you talk about where we left Camille at the end of last season, and what she’ll be dealing with in season 2?
Meagan Good: At the end of season one, she is dating this amazing guy who is a lot of the things that she’s wanted, but she still feels feelings for Ian, her ex. She’s deciding between Jameson (Sullivan Jones) and Ian (Tyler Lepley). Then she doesn’t really have a choice with Ian because now he’s getting married and we finish last season with Quinn going to take Ian’s fiancé’s dress that she designed and all those wonderful things. Camille goes inside of the building and runs into Ian, they have this moment and they end up kissing. That’s where we end season one.
So season two we pick up right where we left off, dealing with the aftermath, the consequences, the conversations and what actually is going to happen because technically Camille’s still dating Jameson and Ian is getting married. Is he getting married? Are they going to get back together? Who knows?
In this season, I think that the biggest arc, the through line that I can share for Camille, is that she’s discovering a lot of who she is and she’s discovering a lot of who she isn’t. I think that she’s getting a lot of revelation about things that she thought about herself, or things that she thought about life, or relationships, or whatever it is and just really getting these illuminating realizations.
How it shows itself is pretty interesting and fun to watch because I think everybody can relate to it. It’s not like, you almost kissed the groom and then we cut to a year later and let’s see where everyone’s at. We get in there, we have the moments and we have the real conversations. What would you do and what wouldn’t you do? Why did you do it? Why was that important? I think the biggest thing, the through line, is just self-discovery, self-reflection and discovering who she is, which I think she’s very surprised with what she finds out about herself.
(L to R) Meagan Good, Shoniqua Shandai, Grace Byers, and Jerrie Johnson in Prime Video’s ‘Harlem’ Season 2.
MF: Finally, Jerrie, can you talk about what Tye is going through this season?
Jerrie Johnson: There’s a lot at stake for Tye with the health scare, with her husband showing up and dealing with what that might look like and not wanting to address that, but having that in close proximity. Then also not being completely honest with her friends about her husband and him not leaving. I think she is afraid. She doesn’t want to say that she’s afraid, but she is afraid because Tye has always had control of her life.
Ever since she left home, she’s always had control over her life and she’s banked on having control of her life because she didn’t have that control when she was back home. This is one of the first times in her adult life that everything has spiraled out of control.
So I think for season two she is trying to deal with as much as she can as possible. Some stuff has to fall by the wayside but I think maybe her biggest mission is to prove Brandon (Kadeem Ali Harris) wrong in what he said about her not having love in her life, so now she wants to find love and I think that’s her mission of season two.
‘Harlem’ Season 2 premieres February 3rd on Prime Video.
‘Day Shift,’ which debuted on Netflix August 12th is the sort of movie that the streaming service seems to drop almost out of nowhere – which is surprising given the star power of Jamie Foxx. One trailer and then here we are.
It certainly hasn’t been treated to the same sort of rollout as, say, ‘The Gray Man’, but then ‘Day Shift’ didn’t cost $200 million to make. But that’s no slight on the new vampire hunting movie, which generates plenty of goofy action fun without needing to trot around the globe or blow up everything in sight.
Foxx plays Bud Jablonski, who makes his living cleaning pools in the San Fernando Valley. At least, that’s what he tells his family. His real job is tracking down and dispatching vampires.
In the movie’s mythology, the toothy terrors have existed for millennia alongside humans and, back in the day, were worshipped as gods (a temple under Los Angeles plays a role later in the plot).
Jamie Foxx as Bud Jablonski in ‘Day Shift.’ Photo: Parrish Lewid/Netflix.
Yet as time marched on, humanity began to realize that the genetic mutations were actually more of a threat than a religion and turned on them. Since then, there has been an understanding – vampires prey in darkness and those still among the fully living have organized to hunt them.
Bud used to be among those ranks, a fully paid-up member of the union that authorizes gun- and stake-toting fighters to execute vampires, claiming their fangs as evidence for payout. The older the Drac-pack member, the bigger the cash reward. But thanks to some “violations” (violently killing a vampire in a house with a kids’ party happening next door), he’s been on the outs for years.
Yet when his estranged wife Jocelyn (Meagan Good) announces she’s taking their daughter Paige (Zion Broadnax) to Florida for a new financial opportunity, Bud knows he’ll need to start earning more to prevent that happening.
Oh yes, and there’s an ambitious vampire (Karla Souza’s Audrey San Fernando) looking to take over the Valley’s undead action, and who is first glimpsed burying a rival “alive” in the freshly poured foundations of a house.
Bud will need to call on the help of old pal – and legendary vampire hunter – Big John Elliott (a typically chill Snoop Dogg) to get himself official again. And that comes with big condition… Bud will have to put up with union clerk Seth (Dave Franco) monitoring his missions.
More normally used to spending his time behind a desk, and with little inclination to do anything else, Seth soon grows more useful, but it’s not an easy match at first, since Seth’s all about following the rules and Bud is, as anyone could guess… not.
That’s a familiar dynamic for a movie such as this, and writers Tyler Tice (this is his first produced script) and Shay Hatten (‘Army of the Dead’) don’t bring too much that is fresh to the mismatched buddy cop formula. Yet Foxx and Franco find a vibe that works.
Whether it’s Seth peeing his pants in initial fear at confronting a vampire in the field or the pair arguing about ‘Twilight’ movies, they’re often the funniest part of the movie.
Director J.J. Perry is a graduate of the 87Eleven school of stunt work. Training with the likes of David Leitch and Chad Stahelski and working as a stuntman then a stunt coordinator, he’s since moved up to second unit work and makes his full directorial debut with ‘Day Shift.’
It’s perhaps no surprise then, that besides the cast, the set-pieces are the star here. From an initial rumble between Foxx’s Bud and an old woman who turns out to be both A) undead and B) a key part of the plot going forward to the various clashes between humans and the fang club, this is an all-action romp.
Perry and cinematographer Tobi Oliver know how to stage and shoot an effective fight scene, and they make good use of some talented stunt folk to bring those moments to life. Whether it’s a battle in an abandoned mall (highlighted by Snoop’s Big John arriving with a hulking minigun called “Big Bertha” and laying waste to many enemies) or a match-up between three vampires, the conflicts go for the jugular even more than the villains.
There is, perhaps, an occasional leaning too hard on one specific move (clambering over someone’s head and flipping them, as Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow often used to do in Marvel movies), but otherwise the stunt work is lean and entertaining.
When the jokes are as sharp as the vampire’s teeth, the movie truly entertains, but that doesn’t happen enough to carry the rest of what shapes up to be a fairly standard example of the genre. There are lots of elements here pulled from the shelf that are rarely customized to the degree that they seem fresh.
A big, nasty vampire plan? Seen it. The hero’s family in danger? Yup. A grungy dealer in vampire death payouts who keeps a hidden base behind a mundane pawn shop front – and who ends up a victim? Present. And even though he’s played by Peter Stormare, it doesn’t quite raise the level up above average.
Netflix has been on a run of vampire stories of late – between the likes of ‘Night Teeth’ and the YA-centric ‘First Kill’, the streaming service can’t get enough of the fanged ones and/or the people who slay them. ‘Day Shift’ ranks more highly than some, mostly thanks to Foxx’s charisma, Franco’s throwing himself into the comedy, and the stunt work.
If you’re craving some fang club action and you haven’t had your bloodlust slated by the many vampire movies already out there in the world, ‘Day Shift’ offers a solid bite even if it’s not the greatest example of the genre.
Netflix has certainly tapped into the vampire vein as one of its prime source materials for movies and TV shows, including recent examples such as ‘First Kill’ and ‘Night Teeth’.
The company is upping the star power for its latest example, as the likes of Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dog, Dave Franco and more are part of the cast of ‘Day Shift’.
Foxx plays Bud Jablonski, a man whose unassuming day job as a San Fernando Valley pool cleaner is a cover for how he really makes money – in a world where vampires are everywhere (and are mostly monstrous murderers), there’s cash to be had “cutting necks and cashing checks”, as Bud explains.
Yet with a few “incidents” on his record, Bud has been drummed out of the international Union of Vampire Hunters, and now he’s facing the prospect of his wife (Meagan Good) and daughter (Zion Broadnax) moving to Florida for a better life.
With the help of his pal and fellow hunter (Snoop Dogg), Bud has to wrangle his way back into the union to keep the cash flow going, and make sure he saves his own neck. Mostly, though, the story looks like an excuse for lots of crazy vamp action.
Jamie Foxx as Bud Jablonski in ‘Day Shift.’ Photo: Parrish Lewid/Netflix.
Not to mention Dave Franco as a guy who has his first vampire encounter and reacts… well, how you might expect. And, of course, there are jokes about other vampire fiction, including the ‘Twilight’ movies.
This new movie is directed by J.J. Perry, who has cut his teeth as a stuntman, stunt coordinator and second unit director on big titles such as ‘John Wick’ and more than one ‘Fast & Furious’ movie. And the ‘Wick’ connection continues thanks to co-writer Shay Hatten (a veteran of a couple of those movies, plus a lot of work with Zack Snyder, including ‘Army of the Dead’ and the upcoming ‘Rebel Moon’.)
Then we have Chad Stahelski, who has co-directed or directed all the ‘Wick’ movies so far and serves as a producer here. It’s perhaps not surprising that the trailer makes ‘Day Shift’ look chock full of inventive action moments.
And the horror aspect means plenty of crazy vampire moments – the creatures here have a twisty-limbed style that would probably put a smile on the face of fans of the work of John Carpenter or ‘Train to Busan’.
With Bud finding all manner of ways to put an end to undead creatures, we can also expect lots of inventive kills, while Snoop shows up at one point touting a minigun to kill as many vamps as possible.
‘Harlem’ is a new comedy series on Prime Video about four best girlfriends living in Harlem NYC. The series was created by Tracy Oliver, and features Meagan Good, Jerrie Johnson, Grace Byers, and Shoniqua Shandai as the stylish and ambitious women that the show follows. Tyler Lepley plays a former flame of Good’s character, and all of these talented folks spent time talking to Moviefone about their new series.
(L-R): Grace Byers, Shoniqua Shandai, Jerrie Johnson, and Meagan Good in ‘Harlem.’ (Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios)
First, Meagan Good and Jerrie Johnson talk about how much fun they had on set.
Moviefone: So, let’s talk ‘Harlem.’ Listen, I can truly appreciate a real sisterhood. These ladies had each other’s backs, genuinely. They were there for one another, through their wins and their losses. Or I would say lessons actually, right?
Jerrie Johnson: Yes.
MF: So Meagan, Camille is a professor, but I would say that she learned her most valuable lesson through her life’s journey. So what is something that Camille could teach us?
Meagan Good: Oh gosh. What I love about Camille is that she’s hopeful. She’s always hopeful. Something can get her down and she can get really disappointed and hard on herself and feel a little bit crazy. And then she always resets her mind and goes, “You know what? It’s okay. I got this. I’m going to figure it out, and it’s going to be great. And no matter what, it’s going to be fine.” You know? I love that about her, because I think that we all, at some point, need to take that approach. Because we do get down on ourselves, and we do get hard on ourselves, and we do get really discouraged.
And being discouraged can cause depression and all kinds of stuff. And I think we need to have the mindset of, you know what? It’s always going to always be okay, and no matter what. And we will figure it out. And it’s okay to not know and not have the answers for a minute and to walk this thing out called life. So I think that’s what I’ve learned most from Camille, and I hope that it’s something that the other people take away as well.
MF: So Jerrie, if you can give Ty any advice based on her love life, her passions and careers, what would you say to her?
Johnson: I would tell her that she can be a little bit more vulnerable. I think her heart chakra may be a little blocked. Yeah.
Good: She’s cold as ice.
Johnson: (Laughing) Oh!
MF: That’s good. This series, it just seems like it was so much fun to film. What was it like with everyone on set?
Good: Like this. Just absolutely ridiculous. One second, we’re praying, the next second, we’re twerking. Just, one second, we’re singing Lloyd’s, “Lay It Down,” and songs from, what is the movie called with Robert Townsend and Leon?
Good: And then we’re singing, ‘Dreamgirls,’ and she’s doing Effie’s part and there’s just so much going on. And it’s so wonderful, and such a breath of fresh air, because it’s not always like that. And with TV, it’s different. It’s not a race, it’s a marathon. You got to pace yourself. And there’s nothing more wonderful than coming to work, and you’re excited about the role you get to play, and you’re excited about the people you get to play with, and you genuinely love them, and you genuinely pray for each other, and hold each other down, and confide in each other, and pour into each other, and love on each other. And then you leave set, and you go do that in the real world with the same people.
Johnson: Yeah.
Good: t’s really special and wonderful.
MF: That’s beautiful.
Johnson: There was a moment where I was sick and Meagan was on FaceTime with me, while I’m in the hospital. And Devon came in and prayed over me, and I’m, “You gonna sit here with me while I’m in this hospital?” And she’s, “Yes. I want to make sure you are okay.” And I think it’s just a testament to the kind of people that were hired to be on this show. These women, we know what it costs to be nasty. We just know that we don’t have to do that. We’re not in competition with each other. We’re actually in flow with each other. We’re actually building with each other, and that makes us all rise to the occasion.
Good: Yeah.
Johnson: So the set was a good old time.
Good: Yeah.
MF: That’s great.
Good: You ever see that picture? It’s an animated meme where you see the woman, here, put your foot here, and you go like this, and then they go like that and the person pulls them up. That’s what it’s like every day on set.
Next, Grace Byers & Shoniqua Shandai discuss the challenges their characters face in the first season.
Moviefone: So Grace, what is it about Quinn that did not allow her to give up on her passion despite the ups and downs of the business?
Grace Byers: Oh, I think that there is a very pure part of Quinn. And honestly, I believe that this lives in all of us where we are born and built to love, we’re born and built to connect. I think that’s why whenever we disconnect, it’s so difficult because it takes no time to fall in love with someone or to express love with someone or to really feel a comradery or a closeness to someone, but it takes forever to disconnect. And so I think that Quinn really zeros in on and amplifies that desire and that need for love because I believe that she truly feels like it’s a core part of her identity. And I think without love or without the hope or idea of love, I’m not sure that she would even know who she is. And I think that that’s all of us, just in this world as human beings.
And so I really love that about Quinn. I love that no matter what, she will pursue that love. She will go for that love. And she won’t ever stop chasing after that because I feel it truly is the strongest kind of energy that can permeate throughout the world.
MF: Absolutely. Absolutely. Shoniqua, I love Angie.
Shoniqua Shandai: Thank you.
MF: She’s so vibrant and real, she’s the type of girlfriend everyone needs in their circle.
Byers: Yeah.
Shandai: Absolutely.
MF: Yeah. So, what challenges would you say that Angie faced when it came to her career, her love life, her passions?
Shandai: Yes. I think the challenges she faces in her career and her love life are actually very similar. Angie almost had it. She was looked at somewhat as successful in school and always had this trajectory of being the star, getting exactly what she always wanted. And she suffered this disappointment that completely rocked her world, that came out of nowhere. And now she’s doubting everything while also putting up this outward persona of, “I got it together. I’m cool.” But inside, she doesn’t know whether it’s going to come. She doesn’t know whether it’s possible for her. And it’s the same thing I feel like in love. She has these relationships that are almost impossible to keep together. Almost setting herself up to know that, “This won’t last because then it won’t hurt me. It can’t disappoint me.”
And I think really her biggest journey is going to be healing from that. And also beyond that, getting the confidence. As much as she’s outwardly confident, it’s having the confidence to trust in something she can’t control. Which is, “I can’t control whether people receive me or not musically. And I can’t control whether of people receive me in love, but I’m going to go for what I deserve,” in spite of always feeling like she is deserving. She is a big old complexity.
Byers: Yes.
Shandai: Yeah. These complications.
Byers: We all are. That’s the truth.
Shandai: Yes.
Tyler Lepley talks about his character, Ian.
Moviefone: So, let’s talk about Ian, because Ian comes in, and he shakes some things up.
Tyler Lepley: For sure.
MF: So, give us some insight on your character. Who is he, and what is he about?
Lepley: He’s about finding who he is. He’s about finding his purpose. On one hand, he’s this very gifted, creative, studied chef. He’s studying under a world-renowned chef to try to find out his passion and how it’s going to come to fruition. He is a very passionate, driven person, whether it’s about his work life or his love life, which, really, where we meet him at, he’s left in conflict between the two. And he’s like all of us in the sense that he’s just a man trying to find his way. He’s in the process of trying to figure out who he is and where he stands. That’s how we’re introduced to Ian.
MF: So, Tyler, if you could give Ian… If you could give him any advice about his career or relationships, what would you say to him?
Lepley: First, I would say, “Ian, pull up a chair, I want to have a talk with you.” I would say, “It behooves you to chase your passion.” We’re not here to settle, we’re not here to pay a couple bills, and then just croak out. At least in terms of how I feel, not to take it too deep. But, you’re right. Even though you’re going through some obstacles, and you’re going through some conflicts that may feel negative, you’re right on the path you’re supposed to be.
And you’d be surprised, if you just take a few more steps, what it’s going to bring back to you. In terms of your love life, let’s figure out what your priority is first. Is it finding who you are, or is it making your girlfriend happy? And, based upon your answer, we can figure out if you’re in the right space. So, I believe, based upon watching your 10 episodes, that your answer is your passion. So, then, we may have to try to revisit this, or put it to bed as is, because the secondary can’t come before the primary.
MF: Wow. That’s good. Do you think he would listen to that advice?
Lepley: I don’t know. Ian’s like myself, we’re a little hardheaded. He might not listen, but I think even if he didn’t listen, he would feel that though, because, even as we watch the show, that’s what he does. He chases his passion, as opposed to letting the passion go and letting his dreams go, and then just sitting here in a space that he already knows. So, I think he would… As a matter of fact, I’m going to change my answer. I think he would end up listening.
MF: So you were surrounded by amazingly beautiful, talented women. I mean, what was it like? What was the experience on set, working with everyone?
Lepley: What I realized is that… I had a hunch that it was going to be like this, but you look on the outside, and they’re all so beautiful, but then to work with them, the beauty is on the inside. It really resonates from the inside first. They’re all, I mean… It’s just such a… I used this analogy earlier. They’re just like… I know it’s about two, but they’re really like four peas in a pod, and to see them play off each other and to watch their bond, to watch their sisterhood, it’s inspiring. And to have them be so welcoming, to open their arms and have me be a part of this, not just on the script, but in real life too, it’s just a treat, man. It’s just been a blessing to be around those ladies. And I learned a lot from them on set, as an artist, and it was a great thing to be able to work with them, but it was even a bigger treat to be able to build a friendship with them off of set.
Series creator, writer, and executive producer Tracy Oliver shares her inspiration for the show.
Moviefone: How did the concept of ‘Harlem’ come about, and why Harlem?
Tracy Oliver: Well, it came about just from real life and the stuff that I was looking at the time was showing New York. ‘Girls’ was really popular, and ‘Broad City’ was really popular, and I love those shows and have so much respect for the creators. I just didn’t see myself and I didn’t see a lot of black and brown people in New York represented. And just in general, over the years, I’ve just noticed New York doesn’t have a lot of diversity, and it shows when they’re set there and Harlem almost never was getting shot in comedies, in particular.
It just was, they would shoot it every single neighborhood in Manhattan, except for Harlem. And for me, I just always felt I was kind of home in Harlem, even though I’m not from there. I just felt it was a place that I belonged and it was beautiful. And it was a rich history there. And I just wanted to give it some love, to give the residents and the people of Harlem who are so special some love. And I wanted to do that way back in the day because there was just nothing like it. And yeah, so it just came from a place of love for me. Because I enjoyed my experience there, and it was a really magical time.
MF: I love that. And the cast was great too. Definitely, great cast. Everything definitely came together, and I could definitely foresee a lot more seasons of ‘Harlem’ to come. So I’m excited for that.
