One of the DC Films in the DC Extended Universe that we haven’t heard anything about in a long while is the Shazam movie that has Dwayne Johnson attached to play the iconic DC villain, Black Adam. We haven’t even gotten a casting yet for Shazam as well as no director being attached to the film. However, in a new interview with Newsweek, Dany Garcia, who is a producing partner of Johnson, spoke heavily about where Shazam is at right now, its overall fit in the DCEU and more.
Garica spoke about how this project is working with different producers, directors and the overall different setup since the film is over at New Line and under a separate deal compared to the other DC Comics films from Warner Bros. Pictures.
“Shazam! is to live in the same world [as the other films] but we have incredible autonomy over this brand and franchise. We are working with a different team, different producers, directors… it’s a different set-up. We don’t feel fettered by, or constrained by, the successes or failures and challenges of the other projects. That was a key component to our participation—that we be able to control the tone and the voice, and do it the way we want to.”
He also stresses that while it will be within the overall DCEU with the other DC Films that have come out and will come out, Shazam’s relationship with the universe will still have that feeling of truly standing on its own.
“You’ve got Justice League, Wonder Woman with a different director, so you’re going to see different points of view. I think by the time we land with [Shazam!] we’ll fit nicely within the world that’s been created, but not such a shorthand relationship. [It’ll be] enough that people say, ‘Oh, this is within the family,’ but the culture will be a little different.”
Garcia goes on to talk about that there are drafts coming in for the screenplay and how important it is that the tone for Black Adam is nailed as this will be the character’s first time in live-action.
“We don’t mind taking our time. We’re being very careful with each act and scene to go back and layer in as much as possible. We’ve got so many wonderful superhero franchises out there… we don’t need to run away from them and say ‘we can’t be that,’ but it’s important to understand what are the best aspects of a Batman [movie] versus Avengers versus Deadpool? What are the elements people are responding to? We want to move the needle.”
Shazam, starring Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam, is set to come out in theaters on April 5, 2019