Warner Bros. just made it official that cameras started rolling last week for Shazam! The studio also released some interesting new details about the April 5, 2019 release.
David F. Sandberg shared a photo of a clapperboard on Instagram last week to reveal that his first superhero project had kicked off production under the working title Franklin. Shortly after that, the studio issued a new press release to announce that principal photography was underway in Toronto. They also shared the movie’s first official synopsis, full cast list, and more. But first, the synopsis!
We all have superheroes inside us. It just takes a bit of magic to bring them out. In Billy Batson's case, by shouting out one word – SHAZAM! – this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Superhero Shazam, courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart – inside a ripped, godlike body – Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: He has fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his Social Studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he'll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
The Shazam! cast list offers no surprises, but it does confirm Zachary Levi as the titular superhero and Asher Angel as his 14-year-old alter-ego Billy Batson. Mark Strong will play main antagonist Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
Jack Dylan Grazer will appear as Billy's best friend Freddy. Billy’s foster family will be played by Grace Fulton (Mary), Faithe Herman (Darla), Ian Chen (Eugene) and Jovan Armand (Pedro). Additional cast members include Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans as foster parents Victor and Rosa Vasquez and Ron Cephas Jones as The Wizard who grants Billy his powers.
As in the New 52 comics, the live-action adaptation of Shazam! will be set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dwayne Johnson won’t appear as Black Adam in Shazam!, but he’s still involved as an executive producer, along with Christopher Godsick, Jeffrey Chernov, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia.
Peter Safran is listed as the movie's producer. Sandberg's creative team includes director of photography Maxime Alexandre, production designer Jennifer Spence, editor Michel Aller, and costume designer Leah Butler.
