SHAZAM MOVIE GETS A WRITER

**MattBrady** · 03-09-2007, 04:06 PM

DC Comics’ Shazam property has taken a step closer toward making it on to the big screen, as The Hollywood Reporter today announced that John (The Burton’s The Corpse Bride) August has been hired to write the film version of the character. Peter Segal will direct, and will co-produce with Michael Ewing.

From THR:

"It's a unique opportunity to do a comic book movie where the character in it actually read comic books," said August, who has started writing the script. "What's terrific about the character is that he looks like this superstudly superhero but is really a 13-year-old boy. And to approach everything that is great about a superhero movie from a 13-year-old boy's perspective was a unique way in."

August sat down with noted DC Comics writer Geoff Johns for "idiot checking," making sure the filmmakers' approach to the character was consistent with what fans love about him. "I think we're going to be able to be really faithful to the mythology and yet make it completely transparent for people who have no idea who the character is," August said.

Chris Godsick and Michael Uslan ("Constantine") are executive producing.

Gregory Noveck is overseeing for DC Comics. Mark Kaufman and Daryl Freimark are overseeing for New Line.

At August's blog, he wrote about the experience:

And now, the answer to speculation about why I was busy reading up on DC Comics mythology. As announced today in The Hollywood Reporter, I’m writing Captain Marvel. And I’m very, very stoked.

The movie is set up at New Line, with Pete Segal attached to direct. For those who aren’t rabid fans of the character, here’s the briefest of introductions.1

Captain Marvel is a superhero roughly as powerful as Superman, minus the heat-vision and cold breath.2 What’s unique about the character is that in ordinary life, he’s teenager Billy Batson. Speaking the name of the wizard who gave him his powers (Shazam) calls down a magic thunderbolt, transforming him into the studly superhero. But he’s still a teenager in there.

If this to you sounds, “Like Big, but with superpowers,” then congratulations! You now understand Hollywood.

The process of getting hired to write it has taken months. It started with a call from my agent, asking, “Hey, have you ever heard of Captain Marvel?”

The answer was an enthusiastic yes. I was vaguely aware of the character growing up,3 but it wasn’t until the character’s recent resurgence in the DC Comics universe that I started paying attention. Not more than a month before my agent’s call, I’d read a JSA and thought to myself…Someone should make a Captain Marvel movie. And now they were.

Pete Segal and producing parter, Michael Ewing, had already signed on, so the next step was meeting with them and figuring out if we shared the same tone for the movie. It’s not Spider-Man plus jokes. It’s a comic book movie where the characters in it read comics. The story needs to be funny and dramatic even if the villain never shows up. (Don’t worry, there’s a great villain.)

Once we agreed on the framework for the movie, Geoff Johns from DC was gracious enough to come in and idiot-check it for us. Having witnessed the uproar over Spidey’s organic web-shooters, we were all sensitive towards cavalierly changing things. Fortunately, Captain Marvel is pretty movie-friendly already, so we hadn’t bent or broken any mythology.

Between my time at Sundance and Pete’s prep schedule for his next movie (Get Smart), it took weeks to get a meeting with New Line. Going in for the pitch, I was warned that there would be a lot of people in the room. But I wasn’t prepared for the fact that four of the attendees would be sitting in by videoconference. It was incredibly awkward, but I got through it. And I got the job.

In my head, the movie’s called Captain Marvel, but for legal reasons, it will almost certainly be some variation on Shazam! I grumble because people will inevitably assume that the hero’s name is Shazam, when it’s not — Shazam is the old wizard. It’s like calling the Harry Potter movies “Dumbledore.” Then again, the hero isn’t a Captain, and doesn’t live in the Marvel universe. So you’re going to have confusion either way.

I can already anticipate the natural questions which will come up, most of which I can only answer, “I don’t know” or “I’m not allowed to say.” And I should re-iterate the standard disclaimer: most movies don’t get made. But I’m really hoping this one does.

DeTroyes · 03-09-2007, 04:10 PM

*sigh*

Another DC project that probably will never get past the pre-production stage.

Not holding out much hope that this will ever get made.

EDIT: FIRST!!

Grendel Rose · 03-09-2007, 04:11 PM

Faithful and transparent. My two favourite words.

ROBRAM89 · 03-09-2007, 04:13 PM

The director scares the holy hell out of me, but I like this news. John August can do great work.

bsmith · 03-09-2007, 04:22 PM

Too bad William (Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride) Goldman's script wasn't used, I'm sure it was going to be great. But nice to see this moving forward regardless.

Only note: will someone get Michael Uslan off of this thing?? I seem to remember his name attached to a lot of bad DC projects....and the one he did do that was great (Batman Begins) I'm not sure how much if anything he had to do with it, other than holding the rights for a minute...

Bsmith

vbartilucci · 03-09-2007, 04:27 PM

You know who has the right face for Cap? Adrian Pasdar. And he's already used to flying.

Further casting notes to follow

Kolimar · 03-09-2007, 04:36 PM

WOO-HOO!!!

Finally some movement after all this time.

artiepants · 03-09-2007, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeTroyes

*sigh*

Another DC project that probably will never get past the pre-production stage.

Not holding out much hope that this will ever get made.!

yeha, now-a-days when i see DC movie announcements i wonder how long until the get canceled. (yet Catwoman got made >>>shudder<<<)

Gamma Duck · 03-09-2007, 04:37 PM

I'd feel a little better if he'd fact-checked with Jeff Smith.

Kolimar · 03-09-2007, 04:38 PM

The Complete List of DC Comics Movies

Stazz · 03-09-2007, 04:39 PM

Hey, this is relieving. Last I heard before this announcement, the guy who directed Adam Sandler's movie "Anger Management" was rumoured to be directing.

aeast317 · 03-09-2007, 04:41 PM

sounds good...we'll see when it gets made.

cncoyle · 03-09-2007, 04:45 PM

I just wish Freddie Mercury were still alive. A SHAZAM! movie really should have a Queen-produced soundtrack, a la Flash Gordon.

The Spirit · 03-09-2007, 04:54 PM

this movie could have potential

Excelsior! · 03-09-2007, 05:07 PM

Here's hoping that "CAPTAIN MARVEL" will make it into the title somewhere...

...seeing as that's his name...

New Way · 03-09-2007, 05:09 PM

does anyone else think this movie should be animated?

maybe something more along the lines of the Incredibles.

JohnPopa · 03-09-2007, 05:12 PM

August tells a slightly more detailed story at his blog www.johnaugust.com.

He also laments the inevitable title of 'SHAZAM.'

Dave Accampo · 03-09-2007, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stazz

Hey, this is relieving. Last I heard before this announcement, the guy who directed Adam Sandler's movie "Anger Management" was rumoured to be directing.

Uhhh...yeah, and he still is.

Fletcher · 03-09-2007, 05:24 PM

A Shazam movie?
It would be cool to see if they did him in the vein that Dematteis, Giffen and Mguire did him.
But really I want a Green Lantern movie!

**MattBrady** · 03-09-2007, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cncoyle

I just wish Freddie Mercury were still alive. A SHAZAM! movie really should have a Queen-produced soundtrack, a la Flash Gordon.

that's one of the more inspired things I've read on this board.

MattB

avengingtitan · 03-09-2007, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cncoyle

I just wish Freddie Mercury were still alive. A SHAZAM! movie really should have a Queen-produced soundtrack, a la Flash Gordon.

You sir are a genius.

Save that I'll never say it again Nate.

Kevin Ryan · 03-09-2007, 05:40 PM

Quote:

And I should re-iterate the standard disclaimer: most movies don’t get made. But I’m really hoping this one does.

Oh man, I really hope this works out. I enjoyed "The Corpse Bride" a lot, and I'd love to see Cap become the mainstream character he's deserved to be for years. And if he's written like he has been the past few years, a Black Adam spinoff would be really cool.

The naming restrictions suck as always, but it's not too bad. After all, the titular character in "Lord of the Rings" was the villain, and that one turned out okay.

antillestk · 03-09-2007, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBrady

that's one of the more inspired things I've read on this board.

MattB

Amen brother. Amen.

You know even though the Flash Gordon movie was rather lame(but when you're a kid it's cool as hell), the sound track rocked the high heavens.

I so miss Freddie Mercury.

TigerGot'Em · 03-09-2007, 05:54 PM

Peter Segal is directing?

Sounds like we're in for more of a KAZAAM than a SHAZAM.

ROBRAM89 · 03-09-2007, 06:09 PM

You know, if it's well-written and well-cast, I don't care who directs it. If he doesn't interfere with the script or give the actors horrible direction (and pay them too well to ignore it), what can he do? The worst that could happen is that he gets more famous for it, and there are more Peter Segal movies made because of it...as horrifying as that might be.

OK, to be fair...he's made, of note...Naked Gun 33 1/3, which wasn't THAT much worse than the other two...Tommy Boy, which you can't help but laugh at, come on...umm, Nutty Professor II was crap compared to the first, but still...Anger Management and 50 First Dates, both reasonably good by Adam Sandler standards...and The Longest Yard, and let's be fair, a prison football comedy? Did that have a chance?

I don't like that he's pretty much directed 100% straight comedies until now, and they're giving him what, in a perfect world, is pretty much a lighter, more fantastical Superman movie, but hey...I do like John August.