Shazam! Captain Marvel gets a director

[Bishop2]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002343636

Peter Segal (Anger Management, 50 First Dates) is set to direct the Captain Marvel movie, titled Shazam!, for New Line Cinema. "Shazam" is the word that Billy says to transform into the adult-proportioned superhero Captain Marvel... though of course, no one knows he's just a kid underneath.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/moviemaniacs/marvel.jpg

With Segal directing, I can't help but wonder if he might go a comedic route with the material. Scripters included William Goldman (The Princess Bride, The Ghost and the Darkness) and Bryan Goluboff (The Basketball Diaries).

[Superman]

I really want this movie made. I think this could be a great movie if done right.:up: :)

[thedarks0ldier]

i think it is safe to say that a serious approach to this film does not look like what they are going for.

[Casius--J]

I never thought they'd make this into a film. I can see this goin the comedy route, i mean it is kinda hard to take serious.

[warren_sparta27]

well this will be a huge dissaster :(

[Morg]

I really want this movie made. I think this could be a great movie if done right.:up: :)


if it's done right

[deathshead2]

Lets see story about kid who turns in to an older man with superpowers and the guy who directed 50 first dates. Hmmm loos like a comady to me.

[C. Lee]

For the longest time, the book was a comedy (the main villian was a worm with glasses and a radio hanging from his neck, for goodness sakes).....so it wouldn't surprise me if it was comical.

[superkong 500]

they could make this into an epic serious film even when its main character is a young boy,they could focus on the problems he would face being a kid and at the same time having to mature and take a huge responsibility for the new power he has,I mean it could have great potential,but it will probably be made into a comedy and suck bigtime.

[TheFalcon]

I'm glad they're making this movie and I like that it's New Line who make's it. That could mean we could get more DC character movies from them later and not just have WB make movies with DC characters.

I'm not entirely sure about the choice of director, but just because he's done some comedies before doesn't mean he will make this one.
But on the other hand Captain Marvel is kind of a cheesy hero (a big red cheese at that :) ) so they'll might up the humour factor a bit and make a really fun and entertaining superhero film.

[terry78]

You honestly can't take this source material that seriously. Sure it'll have thematic moments, but playing it straight would be just as goofy as playing it for laughs.

[Strange]

The old Shazam tv show was funny without even trying to be, I hope this fairs better. It would be o.k. to have some funny moments but to make it a completely corny movie would be a disaster.

[DarkSuperman]

This movie is going to suck sooooooooooo bad. Which is a real shame cause I really like Captain Marvel. It has a huge amount of potential, especially when you add in all the different mythologies, like egyptian with Black Adam.

UNFORTUNATELY...After looking at this director's resume it reminds me of another comedy director named Tim Story who got a big break directing another beloved Comic book...Fantastic Four. I think we all remember how well that flim turned out. Hollow script, lack luster acting (not from everyone just 3/5 the cast.), simply...another forgettable piece of trash. If the human torch effects weren't so nice, I'd have nothing nice to say about the film other than a stellar job of acting on Chiklis and Evans.
In short...Comedy directors...shouldn't direct big budget comic book action movies that are totally out of their expertise. Especially the sort who many, many people invest a lot of emotion on. But I digress...MAYBE this comedy dude will completely blow me away by picking an amazing script, talented actors, and having top-notch special effects, and getting the costume right...then again, there's SO, SO, stuff to ****Up it isn't even funny, not to mention it hasn't happened yet.

Personally...I dont want this dude getting his action movie "practice" with my Shazam! Would you let a surgical intern fresh outta med school remove your heart...or would you want the senior surgeon fixing your ticker? Exactly. Something like this deserves someone familiar with the subject matter. Sandy Collara did a helluva job with batman and he's a DIE HARD Shazam fan..he would have been perfect. Unfortunaly we're going to get another lousy piece of cinema crap. :supes:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0781842/ The director. Lame.

[KaptainKrypton]

While I agree that Segal's resume doesn't exactly blow my socks off, I personally don't feel Sandy Collora isn't all that much to write home about either. Sometimes, though, I've had a director surprise me with a good film here, and a mediocre (or awful) one there. The big issue is whether or not the script, costume department, and production design are in keeping with the essence of what makes The Big Red Cheese what he is: his innocence, courage, honor, humor, and most of all his naivety. I think that if Segal and company stick with what makes the Captain great, then they can do fine. If they don't...we are screwed. I hope to high heaven hey cast this film correctly.

[KaptainKrypton]

I'm ecstatic this movie is finally going to get made. I'm worried, though, that it will be played for laughs. I'd really like to see something along the lines of the Shazam: New Beginning books released in about 1987, I think. I'm seriously jonesing for Cap' to throw down with Black Adam. Adam needs to be a real scumbag for it to work, though. My feeling is that this movie could be real good, or extremely horrendous.

[Mass Nerder]

I won't judge until I see more but damn why this guy going to direct?! Who's he going to get to play Captian Marvel? Adam Sandler? Gezz! If he wants to do a movie like this he needs to do another action/ sci-fi movie before this one just to get some practice. Don't get me wrong I loved Tommy Boy and Naked Gun 33 1/3 but I also loved The 40 Year Old Virgin that doesn't mean I want Judd Apatow directing Green Lantern.

[Darthphere]

Im thinking the latter right now.

[Lone Wolf]

Though Segal may not have the best resume, I'm willing to give him a chance. I'm hoping they won't settle for the comedy approach instead of sticking true to the books and taking it from there to the big screen, like bringing in villains such as Black Adam for a decent threat for CM to go up against. If they take the movie seriously there's no doubt in my mind it would be a great adaption. For instance, Tim Story did comedies before deciding to make a new Fantastic Four film. Even though some don't agree the film didn't deliver well enough, in it's own ways it showed to. It even brought on a sequel, and managed to do well in the box office. Bottomline is I'm glad the project is moving along.

[RedIsNotBlue]

Oh ****. This better not turn into an Adam Sandler type movie. :(

[Lobo]

The movie should be based around Ordway's the Power of Shazam graphic novel which woul;d translte beautifully to film. Say the name, feel the power...Shazam!

[Philly Phanboy]

i think it is safe to say that a serious approach to this film does not look like what they are going for.

You said it. :down

It looks like Shazam is going to get the lousy slapstick comedy treatment that they had previously ear-marked for their rumoured Jack Black as Green Lantern project.

Why can't those producers understand that if they want to do a comedic take on a DC character there are plenty of guys like Plastic Man that are far better subjects for this kind of material.

[Octoberist]

Shouldn't Warner Bros be making the film not New Line Cinema (Whom I think is oowned by Warner but I'm not too sure)

[terry78]

^Yeah, they're a Time Warner company, so anybody under the WB can do it apparantly.

[The Aquaman]

SHAZAM!

http://superherohype.com/news.php?id=4082

[Octoberist]

Unless, Warner Bros. gave New Line the OK to get the franchise way before WB decided to get back into the Superhero frenzy.

That was my theory on THe Watchmen when it was at Paramount. At first I was like "It's owned by DC, shouldn't Warner Bros do it."

Then my theory hit me:

Warner Bros. probably sold off the rights back in the 90s when comic book movies were dead (cica 1997). At the time, maybe they didn't see the profit in it. Luckily, WB got it back :)

[The Aquaman]

Though Segal may not have the best resume, I'm willing to give him a chance. I'm hoping they won't settle for the comedy approach instead of sticking true to the books and taking it from there to the big screen, like bringing in villains such as Black Adam for a decent threat for CM to go up against. If they take the movie seriously there's no doubt in my mind it would be a great adaption. For instance, Tim Story did comedies before deciding to make a new Fantastic Four film. Even though some don't agree the film didn't deliver well enough, in it's own ways it showed to. It even brought on a sequel, and managed to do well in the box office. Bottomline is I'm glad the project is moving along.

Whooooops sorry I didn't see this thread here. I'm new, so I apologize for my other one. I also agree with this post, well said. http://superherohype.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif

Anger Management was a ****ing hilarous movie IMO, but I wouldn't want that same feel brought in for CM. http://superherohype.com/forums/images/icons/icon13.gif


-The Aquaman

[The Aquaman]

Hey guys, who is your ideal Captain Marvel? My casting may not be the best, but I always saw Jerry 'O Connel in the role. Maybe a little to old though....


-The Aquaman

[Gold Samurai]

Hey guys, who is your ideal Captain Marvel? My casting may not be the best, but I always saw Jerry 'O Connel in the role. Maybe a little to old though....


-The Aquaman



he did play the animated version but the ideal captain marvel would be................

http://supermanfanart.com/artists/frahme/captain-marvel.jpg

:D

[Motown Marvel]

wow, this sounds like the first step to making a crappy Captain Marvel movie. which really sucks. i wanted something awe inspiring. this movie has great potential to be something amazing. but, unfortunately i dont see them going in that direction with this choice of director.

[SHF]

So far it seems to me that the kinda movie we can expect is something like Marvels Fantastic Four movie.

Which is pretty much just a popcorn flick that you enjoy but not take seriously whatsoever.

I mean I liked Fantatsic Four for what it was but they could have gone in a differect direction with it if they wanted to.

So i think the audience New Line want to appeal to with the Shazzam movie is to a younger audience. Since the movies is gonna be about a kid turning into a superhero.

If I had to make I would probably do the same. Just cause the director has made a few comedy flicks doesnt mean this is gonna be one. Its just gonna have a bit of humor in it for kids.

[RedIsNotBlue]

I can just see it. Adam Sandler as Captain Marvel. :(

[terry78]

The concept in itself is bizzare on its own. You try to play this straight, you'll have people griping about how corny it is.

Once they officially get it underway, we can a Captain Marvel forum up in this piece.

[ToddIsDead]

I'm kind of disheartened by this news. My biggest hope was that Richard Donner would direct this, and it'd be a serious comic book movie. I bet they'll cast Adam Sandler as Captain Marvel, and Steve Buscemi as Shazam. I suppose it could be good though.

[RedIsNotBlue]

I'm kind of disheartened by this news. My biggest hope was that Richard Donner would direct this, and it'd be a serious comic book movie. I bet they'll cast Adam Sandler as Captain Marvel, and Steve Buscemi as Shazam. I suppose it could be good though.

Nah. I think it would be interesting to see someone like Tarantino take on a project like this.

[Isildur´s Heir]

So, Adam Sandler is going to be Captain Marvel? or is it Black Adam? or, even worst, Billy Batson?

Am i the only one that thinks that a Captain Marvel movie can be a serious movie?
Sure, it will have light bits, most that will be because of the situation, like Billy´s age versus what he does and the powers he has.

[ToddIsDead]

Nah. I think it would be interesting to see someone like Tarantino take on a project like this.
I would think that's sarcasm, but I'm having some trouble deciphering this remark.:confused:

[RedIsNotBlue]

I would think that's sarcasm, but I'm having some trouble deciphering this remark.:confused:

No sarcasm just a straight up remark. I would like to see a fresh faced and creative director like Tarantino do something like this. He is a comic book fan and his style is perfect for a comic book flick. Segal's career consists of basically nothing but comedy flicks and half of them being horrible Sandler movies. :down

[Darthphere]

So, Adam Sandler is going to be Captain Marvel? or is it Black Adam? or, even worst, Billy Batson?

Am i the only one that thinks that a Captain Marvel movie can be a serious movie?
Sure, it will have light bits, most that will be because of the situation, like Billy´s age versus what he does and the powers he has.


I think so too. Seems like a cop out to me.

[SolidRoar]

I'm more impressed with the writing talent (William Goldman), but it's good to hear confirming news. Should be fun, nonetheless.

[Kurosawa]

If they strike the right balence it could be great. Just serious enough to be cool, just silly enough to be fun.

I'd hold off on Black Adam for now. Start with Dr Sivana. The world's mightest mortal vs. the world's wickedest scientst.

Then they can bring in Adam along with Mary and Junior. Build the whole thing up to the Monster Society of Evil.

I think too that it would be cool to make Fawcett City into an "anywhen" kinda world like that of Batman: The Animated Series.

The success of movies like Sky High and the Incredibles shows that lighter-hearted superhero movies can work. They do Captain Marvel right, the movies could both epic and fun.

[Bruce_Wayne29]

I'm willing to give the guy a chance. Harold Ramis also directed comedies and then his last movie was The Ice Harvest which was a really good dark story with a bit of dark humour on the side. Just because they made comedies before doesn't mean it will be one now.

[BrianWilly]

What's all this "Oh noes, now Captain Marvel is going to be played by Adam Sandler in an Adam Sandler movie!!" bull? On what basis are you making those claims?

I'll wait before passing judgment. Lots of people who have directed comedy movies have also done some spectacular flicks in other genres.

[RedIsNotBlue]

What's all this "Oh noes, now Captain Marvel is going to be played by Adam Sandler in an Adam Sandler movie!!" bull? On what basis are you making those claims?

I'll wait before passing judgment. Lots of people who have directed comedy movies have also done some spectacular flicks in other genres.

Its not a claim its just the fear of the direction that this movie could possibly go in. And of course he could go on to make a great Shazam! movie but going by his career he hasn't proven he can do anything other than comedy (and mediocre at that IMO) so its obvious that they want it to be a comedy because they in fact hired a comedy director. So therefore it is not crazy to assume that a Hollywood funnyman is going to be considered to star.

[Motown Marvel]

anyone who thinks a captain marvel story cant be done seriously without it coming off as cheezy needs to read this book:
http://www.informationgoddess.ca/Comics&GraphicNovels/images/superh4.jpg

this film has great potential to be epic and flat out amazing....but i dont see that happening with a director like this.

[JackBauer]

yeah, right now I'm not putting ANY faith in this whatsoever. they should've gotten a director who can do good lighthearted action. not TOO funny. not TOO serious.

but no, they get a comedy director, and not even a good one at that. I give this guy as much credit as I did Tim Story before FF.

it's depressing. this would've been a perfect project for Shane Black... :(

[BatJeff7786]

Does anyone even care about Shazam!? I've never read or heard much about it till now.

[JackBauer]

Does anyone even care about Shazam!? I've never read or heard much about it till now.

right... cause if you don't care about it, no one else does? could you be a little less egotistic?

[BatJeff7786]

right... cause if you don't care about it, no one else does? could you be a little less egotistic?
Stop trying to start crap. I just asked a question.

[terry78]

^He does have a point to an extent. Only people that grew up with the comics and us fanboys really do care what they do to the character. Mainstream isn't really familiar with him.

[Isildur´s Heir]

If you want, i can tell you how to turn a Captain Marvel movie into something very serious and adult, and still using the likes of Mary Marvel and Marvel Jr.
That would be the kind of movie i was hoping to find, but it clearly is not what they are aiming for :(

Too bad, it could have been great...now, it can only be...funny or cool.

[RedIsNotBlue]

^He does have a point to an extent. Only people that grew up with the comics and us fanboys really do care what they do to the character. Mainstream isn't really familiar with him.

I never read any Shazam! stuff but I am familar with the character and what he is about and plus my dad was a fan of him when he was younger. But from what I know about the character it would work better if taken more seriously than this guys past projects.

[ToddIsDead]

I've always loved Captain Marvel, but I just don't think they're going to get it right. The whole Shazam! world has some pretty serious aspects, with some drama, while there is also some potentially humorous stuff with a hero who is possibly more powerful than Superman with the mind of a ten year old, and what things a child would do with superpowers. But I'm afraid that they'll just play on that, and forget everything else. The best Captain Marvel stories are when it's played seriously, like in Power of Hope, or Kingdom Come.

[The Guard]

I love how some of you think SHAZAM can't work as a comedic piece. As if you've never read anything with Captain Marvel in it, or read any of the original stuff. A Captain Marvel film with comedic elements doesn't mean it will be all comedy. 50 FIRST DATES wasn't all comedy, and when it was it was pretty clever comedy. But it also had some pretty decent drama to it. Ditto with ANGER MANAGEMENT. I can't wait to see what they do with this project. Cautiously optimistic, but it's hard not to be somewhat excited about a SHAZAM film.

[The Guard]

I'd like to point out that on pretty much any level, this guy's resume kicks the crap out of Tim Story's. And Tim Story managed to turn out a fairly decent FANTASTIC FOUR film, despite a subpar script.

[RedIsNotBlue]

50 First Dates blew hard...most of Sandler's recent movies have.

[Mr. Socko]

Adam Sandler should make a great Captain Marvel :rolleyes:

Sandy Corolla should have done it but noooo

[BillyBatson]

As is obvious by my username, I have a lot of passion for this character. That being said, I will be SERIOUSLY ticked off if this turns into a bad comedy. This is a story that has extreme potential. The best way to do this would be to approach it like a Chronicles of Narnia or Harry Potter type of film. Make it very appealing to kids and adults alike. Those kind of movies are the hottest thing going these days and Shazam would fit that genre perfectly. Magical/Fantasy kids movie + Superhero movie = BIG $$$

[ToddIsDead]

I have to say that would be a great way to tackle this movie :up:

[Bishop2]

Anyone remember "The Power of SHAZAM!" mini from the mid-90s? I think it's the way to go. It told the story of Billy's family getting murdered by his uncle Adam over the power of the amulet which ultimately led him to become Black Adam, while at the same time dealing with Billy coming to terms with his powers (he messes up occasionally, throwing something too far or hitting something too hard, etc). Yes, there are moments of lightness (as evidenced in both his mistakes and in the fact that his schoolteacher apparently has the hots for his adult form, which grosses Billy out), but it's serious where it counts as well. It's a fine mix.

[JackBauer]

Sandy Corolla should have done it but noooo

ugh, I prefer not to have a raging egomaniac with delusions of grandeur, thank you very much...

[crimefighter43]

Therre was a serial made about Captain Marvel back in the 1940's which is considered one of the best serials ever made. It was done straight without comedy elements (though serials seem a bit cheesy these days). Capt. Marvel threw a guy off a roof and machine gunned some bad guys in the back as they ran from him!

I think we should wait to see who is cast and what the story is about before we get down on this movie.

[Kurosawa]

As is obvious by my username, I have a lot of passion for this character. That being said, I will be SERIOUSLY ticked off if this turns into a bad comedy. This is a story that has extreme potential. The best way to do this would be to approach it like a Chronicles of Narnia or Harry Potter type of film. Make it very appealing to kids and adults alike. Those kind of movies are the hottest thing going these days and Shazam would fit that genre perfectly. Magical/Fantasy kids movie + Superhero movie = BIG $$$

I think a cross between the Potter and Narnia fantasy style and the Sky High/Incredibles fun superhero style would be perfect.

Done right, a Marvel Family series of movies is practically a licence to print money.

[raybia]

Just when I think that WB has finally pull their heads out of their azzezs when it comes to Superhero movies, they go do this.

[WallCrawl]

I think a cross between the Potter and Narnia fantasy style and the Sky High/Incredibles fun superhero style would be perfect.

Done right, a Marvel Family series of movies is practically a licence to print money.

I'm in agreement with you there on the necessary tone/atmosphere. However, it doesn't seem to be a balance that too many suits are keen on getting right.

[raybia]

I'm in agreement with you there on the necessary tone/atmosphere. However, it doesn't seem to be a balance that too many suits are keen on getting right.


I was thinking a combo of Indiana Jones and Sky Captain with a little of Superman: The movie sprinkled in.

Also with Brad Bird as the director and Clive Owen as Capt. Marvel.

[terry78]

Well, do we know of any directors that actually are fans of the character? We know most of them are Superman, Batman, etc. fans, but I have rarely heard anyone be like, "I'm the biggest Captain Marvel fan, dude."

[WallCrawl]

I was thinking a combo of Indiana Jones and Sky Captain with a little of Superman: The movie sprinkled in.

The movie definitely needs to have that sense of adventure and room for comedy. But it's highly possible that the Big Red Cheese is going to end up being a family/youth movie, and if it does it'd be great if they can hit that Pixar benchmark of being accessible and enjoyable to kids but no less entertaining for an older audience.

[WallCrawl]

Well, do we know of any directors that actually are fans of the character? We know most of them are Superman, Batman, etc. fans, but I have rarely heard anyone be like, "I'm the biggest Captain Marvel fan, dude."

I don't think you have to be a fan necessarily, but a certain level of appreciation and respect is needed.

[Kurosawa]

I'm in agreement with you there on the necessary tone/atmosphere. However, it doesn't seem to be a balance that too many suits are keen on getting right.

Well, yes, they could easily screw it up.

Hopefully they'll make it a fantasy movie that is also a family movie. That would help keep stupid gross out humor out of it. It needs to be fun and lighthearted without being stupid. That's not easy to pull off.

[The Batman]

Not too optimistic right now, to be honest. But, Michael Uslan is producing this, and hes been a longtime comic fan.

[WallCrawl]

Not too optimistic right now, to be honest. But, Michael Uslan is producing this, and hes been a longtime comic fan.

I'm more worried about their choice of director.

[Steelsheen]

The movie definitely needs to have that sense of adventure and room for comedy. But it's highly possible that the Big Red Cheese is going to end up being a family/youth movie, and if it does it'd be great if they can hit that Pixar benchmark of being accessible and enjoyable to kids but no less entertaining for an older audience.


took the words right out of my mouth :up:

[Dr. Fate]

Good for Shazam.

[roach]

am I the only one seeing Patrick Warburton as Captain Marvel?????

[Mass Nerder]

Unless, Warner Bros. gave New Line the OK to get the At the time, maybe they didn't see the profit in it. Luckily, WB got it back :)

It's a good thing that WB got it back?

[The Guard]

Done right, SHAZAM should damn well be a family film. This is the big red cheese we're talking about, not Batman or The Spectre. That doesn't mean it has to be devoid of serious aspects. Seriously, some of you act like you've never read a Captain Marvel story other than KINGDOM COME. There's a lot of "fun" to the character, and there always has been. Captain Marvel is about dreams, and magic, and heroism and responsibility, and it can make a fantastic movie/franchise. It has all the elements inherent in it's structure. The details aren't even that important to telling a good Captain Marvel story. Just the basic CONCEPT of Captain Marvel kicks ass.

[Dr. Fate]

Done right, SHAZAM should damn well be a family film. This is the big red cheese we're talking about, not Batman or The Spectre. That doesn't mean it has to be devoid of serious aspects. Seriously, some of you act like you've never read a Captain Marvel story other than KINGDOM COME. There's a lot of "fun" to the character, and there always has been. Captain Marvel is about dreams, and magic, and heroism and responsibility, and it can make a fantastic movie/franchise. It has all the elements inherent in it's structure. The details aren't even that important to telling a good Captain Marvel story. Just the basic CONCEPT of Captain Marvel kicks ass.
Damn straight. I think it might be a good idea, just this once, to skip the obligatory love interest.

[The Batman]

ugh, I prefer not to have a raging egomaniac with delusions of grandeur, thank you very much...

I agree. He thinks he's the **** just because he takes some roided wanna be actors and puts them in cheap spandex, and suddenly he's better than nolan and singer.

[Isildur´s Heir]

Done right, SHAZAM should damn well be a family film. This is the big red cheese we're talking about, not Batman or The Spectre. That doesn't mean it has to be devoid of serious aspects. Seriously, some of you act like you've never read a Captain Marvel story other than KINGDOM COME. There's a lot of "fun" to the character, and there always has been. Captain Marvel is about dreams, and magic, and heroism and responsibility, and it can make a fantastic movie/franchise. It has all the elements inherent in it's structure. The details aren't even that important to telling a good Captain Marvel story. Just the basic CONCEPT of Captain Marvel kicks ass.
I´m sorry, and this is only my opinion, but no.
If you don´t get into details of how a boy, by speaking the word Shazam, he is instantly struck by a magic lightning bolt that transforms him into an adult, that will come out as extremely corny.
And it will not come out even more, because Captain Marvel is a known character.
And, IMO, corny is the kiss of death to comic book movies.
Every comic book have inherent elements to it, might it action and thrills or special effects and CGI, but some have other "exclusive" aspects to it, like Ghost Rider or Blade have horror, Spawn and Dr.Strange have magic, Wolverine and Conan have violence...Captain Marvel have a lighthearted feel to it, but that, is in no way to say that it´s not, or can be extremely serious.
The way i see it, Captain Marvel should not be a light movie with serious bits, but a serious movie with light moments.
Hell, Billy Batson is a teenager, that alone, with the fact that he has to deal with the powers he have, create a lot of light and "fun" moments.
But, let´s look at the serious aspects of it all, and the first one (and one that many forget) it´s on your face all the time.
Everytime Billy speaks Shazam, he is transformed into a adult form of, not his adult self, but HIS OWN FATHER.
The funny part here is, i always had the idea that his Captain Marvel should be the adult form of his father and not of himself, but only recently i found out that it is the real deal.
That alone is extremely serious, to dwell on subjects like how kids look up to their parents, but in this case, you can take that to an all diferent level, because a kid actually "transforms" into his father.
Then, you have a lot of diferent things like, who is Shazam, what are the powers he gave to Batson, why Batson...i have a very cool theory about it and, IMO, not only makes sense, it´s very serious and should be used for the comic books (yeah, i´m that good ;) :o)
The main theme is, everything is connected from the get go.
Not everything is written in stone or i even put much thought in it, so bare with me, it goes something like this...

First things first, using my theme that everything is connected, everything has a beginning, the Batson lineage started in the ancient Egipt, and the first was a good prince called Teth-Adam.
By his kindness and honor, he was choosen by Shazam to be the first and so be gave him the power.
But, power have the ability to corrupt even the most honorable, and that was what happend to Adam.
The biggest fault of Shazam was that, he had so much hope in Teth-Adam that he gave him too much power, so, when he had to be stopped, the only thing he was able was to banish him.
And the rest is history, the Batson lineage grew and prospered, until our days, when Black Adam returned.

Now, the question remains, who is Shazam and what is the power, that, unfortunaly, i still don´t have a clue.

[Kurosawa]

am I the only one seeing Patrick Warburton as Captain Marvel?????

I could see it.

I hope if the Get Smart movie gets made they cast him as Hymie. I think he'd be awesome in that.

[RedIsNotBlue]

Well at least I know who would be perfect casting for Shazam. Patrick Warburton.

http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/mepics.nsf/view/warburton/$File/warburton.jpg
http://www.hillcity-comics.com/poster_misc/ShazamAlexRossPoster_BIG.jpg

[terry78]

How old is Marvel supposed to be, physically? It's obvious he's ageless, but he's supposed to have the body of a what, late 20's man?

[GothicPowerMix1]

A Kid turning into a Full Grown Super Hero ? Power Rangers did that & that was bad :o

[Kurosawa]

How old is Marvel supposed to be, physically? It's obvious he's ageless, but he's supposed to have the body of a what, late 20's man?

Late 20's-early 30's. 35 is fine, even 40 if the actor is young enough looking.

C.C. Beck said as he got older himself he started drawing Cap a little older looking.

It wouldn't hurt for an actor like Warburton to play him because it'd make the visual difference between the kid Billy and the adult Captain Marvel more pronunced.

[Katsuro]

Well at least I know who would be perfect casting for Shazam. Patrick Warburton.

http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/mepics.nsf/view/warburton/$File/warburton.jpg
http://www.hillcity-comics.com/poster_misc/ShazamAlexRossPoster_BIG.jpg

that's some solid casting. I could definatley see him in the role.

[Super_Ludacris]

Damn I guess this is gonna happen

[ToddIsDead]

A Kid turning into a Full Grown Super Hero ? Power Rangers did that & that was bad :o
Captain Marvel and Shazam were created forty years before Power Rangers. It's not fair to compare them, because one is a great quality comic book property, and one is just a crappy Japanesse kid's show made for America.

[Lone Wolf]

A Kid turning into a Full Grown Super Hero ? Power Rangers did that & that was bad :o

He's actually turning into an adult copy of his father when he shouts out "SHAZAM." The same way Mary Batson turns into an adult version of their mother when she transforms into Mary Marvel.

[Mass Nerder]

Well at least I know who would be perfect casting for Shazam. Patrick Warburton.

http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/mepics.nsf/view/warburton/$File/warburton.jpg
http://www.hillcity-comics.com/poster_misc/ShazamAlexRossPoster_BIG.jpg

Wow! I would have never thought of that. Sweet casting, call good!:up: :up:

[Katsuro]

He's actually turning into an adult copy of his father when he shouts out "SHAZAM." The same way Mary Batson turns into an adult version of their mother when she transforms into Mary Marvel.

Wait... an adult version of his father? But... isn't his father already an adult? Sorry... i'm nitpicking.

[terry78]

^He never knew his father. That's his interpretation.

[InkSlinger]

I'm not sure too many of you know who Billy Batson is.
In the original comic, he was an orphan.
I don't think it was ever really made clear what happened to his parents.
The wizard Shazam chose him because of his intelligence and faith in the kindness of other people. (C.C. Beck also knew that turning into a superhero-"Superman"- by saying a magic word was the ultimate wish of every kid in America. Still is.)
The physical change of turning into Captain Marvel is exactly what was presented in KINGDOM COME. An older version of Billy. Who else would he become? Why become someone else if the power is yours?
And who would know who you were? It beats a pair of glasses and combing your hair back. I mean, who couldn't figure that out?
The original comic books were designed to be read by kids the same age as Billy Batson, 12-15 years old, so yes, the stories were a bit on the juvenile side. What do you expect? Shakespeare?
But the concepts were so rock solid that many, many of us had these images in the back of our heads that were made more than real by the great Alex Ross books, KINGDOM COME and THE POWER OF HOPE.
This is want we are all hoping the new movie will be like.
A serious movie with a light touch. Much like the first 2 Chris Reeve SUPERMAN movies and the recent SPIDERMAN movies.
(I wasn't that big a fan of the Big Red Cheese until Alex Ross's treatment, but I've since bought/read so many of the original Fawcett comics that I have a whole new appreciation of the original and the Ross books.)
The late 1940's serial starring Caughlin/Tyler was a serious approach, due to the serious times it was made in. WWII was not a fun time period.
I think the SKY CAPTAIN style would work beautifully in a movie of Captain Marvel, only in color, please.
They should also hire Alex Ross and his team to art direct and contribute to the writing. That shouldd make this movie a true blockbuster.
All of the crap about Sandler, etc. is just some smart-mouth pandering that reminds me of the losers they use on VH-1 for their '70's,'80's '90's pan shows. Where do people who weren't even born then come off making snide comments about something they know nothing about? It isn't funny and is a complete waste of everyone's time.
Whatever they do, they have to find a kid and a muscle-man with the gee-whiz outlook who look enough like each other that the transformation is the most believable part of the movie. Anything less and you can kiss this movie goodby. It won't even make it to DVD only release.
One thing I would like to see.
Morgan Freeman as the wizard SHAZAM.
(Hey, he made a movie about penguins an Oscar-winner-)
It's a shame Fred Savage grew up. He would have made a great Billy Batson.
Forget the Power of Shazam '90's comic. We need to go back to the roots of the original comic.
In fact, if Billy Batson's father was a Fire Fighter and Billy really looked up to him as a real hero, the SKY CAPTAIN style would work perfectly for Bill's dreaming of being a hero like his father.
Just a thought.
I've wasted enough space and your time.
Thank you for this chance to contribute my opinion to this thread.
May your path in life always lead to interesting places.
InkSlinger

[Sundancer]

The trouble with Captain Marvel is that there isn't consistency with the details. There MAY be now but over the years some things get confused. Does Billy get replaced by Marvel or does he become Marvel? Golden Age stories seem to support the "replacement" theory. Recently the previous seems to be the case. C.C. Beck didn't even know or care.

Patrick Warburton--can he act? Never heard of him. It takes more than physical resemblance, which so many people think is most important, to be cast right.

[RedIsNotBlue]

Patrick Warburton--can he act? Never heard of him. It takes more than physical resemblance, which so many people think is most important, to be cast right.

Yep he is an actor. And he has already played a superhero. He played the Tick in the live action tv series. And he has down a couple other things like Sky High, The Batman, and Men In Black II so he obviously has an interest in comic book and superhero projects. Here is his IMDB page...http://imdb.com/name/nm0911320/

[ToddIsDead]

He was a regular on Seinfeld and he played the live-action Tick. I think he's great casting for Marvel.

[Lone Wolf]

Wait... an adult version of his father? But... isn't his father already an adult? Sorry... i'm nitpicking.

No. The adult form he turns into is an exact resemblence of his father, C.C. Batson.

[terry78]

Can Patrick Warburton act? Come on, now. He acts as cartoony in real life as he does on all those characters he gives voices to on animated shows and movies. In other words, he's good. Every single tough guy voiced on cartoons nowadays is Puddy.

[RedIsNotBlue]

Can Patrick Warburton act? Come on, now. He acts as cartoony in real life as he does on all those characters he gives voices to on animated shows and movies.

Check out his IMDB page. He has done serious stuff and has had work since the late 80's. And considering that Shazam is most likely gonna be comedic and lighthearted he is perfect.

[terry78]

Do they plan on calling this thing Shazam! or Captain Marvel? I'd personally prefer they call it Captain Marvel, but hey.

[RedIsNotBlue]

I would put my money on Shazam!

[Lone Wolf]

Do they plan on calling this thing Shazam! or Captain Marvel? I'd personally prefer they call it Captain Marvel, but hey.

They'll probably go with calling it Shazam! Considering that's what Billy shouts out to become Captain Marvel, even imdb.com has it listed under that.

[Sundancer]

No. The adult form he turns into is an exact resemblence of his father, C.C. Batson.

Source?


The movie will be called Shazam! most likely. DC's still afraid of using his real name because o you-know-whhat company.

[Lone Wolf]

Source?

I don't have one, I know that he does because I know ALOT about the character. But I'll still find some information that backs up what I said.

[Kurosawa]

No. The adult form he turns into is an exact resemblence of his father, C.C. Batson.

Yeah, that's a Post-Crisis thing, but it's one of the few Post-Crisis ideas with Captain Marvel that I'm okay with.

They never showed Billy's parents in the original Fawcett Comics, all they said was that his parents died and his uncle swindled his inheritence away from him, leaving him homeless.

[Lone Wolf]

Yeah, that's a Post-Crisis thing, but it's one of the few Post-Crisis ideas with Captain Marvel that I'm okay with.

It mentions his resemblence to his father when he's Captain Marvel here.

http://marvelfamily.com/images/whoswho/stats/JLAJSA_CM.jpg

They never showed Billy's parents in the original Fawcett Comics, all they said was that his parents died and his uncle swindled his inheritence away from him, leaving him homeless.

You can see a picture of both his parents being murdered by Theo Adam in the link below.

http://dccomics.com/secret_files/pdfs/captain_marvel.pdf

[terry78]

Those stats give even more reason why Warburton could play him, as he's 6'3 also.

[The Guard]

You know what's scary? SHAZAM might conceiveably get confused with KAZAM by some people.

(shudders)

[Sundancer]

You know what's scary? SHAZAM might conceiveably get confused with KAZAM by some people.

(shudders)


I doubt most people remember that movie. I'm suppressing it...


[QUOTE=Batman]It mentions his resemblence to his father when he's Captain Marvel here.

http://marvelfamily.com/images/whoswho/stats/JLAJSA_CM.jpg

"strangely similiar?" Well, I look "strangely similar" to my father too.

Sounds vague to me, but I'm the type of guy who really needs concrete proof. I couldn't make out the other link, though.

Think we'll get a few "Holey Moleys!" in the movie?

[InkSlinger]

I sincerely hope they throw in a whole lot of "Holy Moly!"s.
As for looking like his father, well, a lot of son's are the spittin' image of their fathers'. It's genetic. Look at Allan Hale and Jr. The older Michael Douglas gets, the more of his father can be seen in him. Dan Blocker and his son. There are a lot more. Looking like his father is not the strange deal it's being made out for.
I hope they do a fairly serious movie, like the old movie serial, with a lot of light touches. Whatever they do, they need to keep it simple and not throw in every single character that ever showed up in the comic.
They also need to make sure that when Billy becomes Captain Marvel, we still know it's Billy, not some completely different character. He becomes/is Captain Marvel. He doesn't switch places with some superpowered being from another planet/dimension. That was the magic of the original comic.

[Armand Z Trip]

Wasn't Putty the voice of Superman in those American Express commercials with Seinfeld?

This is a great thread, so many brilliant suggestions, and so many references to different eras and media of the Captain Marvel character. William Goldman is a legend, I hope he comes up with something great ( more Marathon Man and Butch and Sundance, rather than Absolute Power and Dreamcatcher ). I don't know about Peter Segal, someone earlier mentioned Harold Ramis; he directed and wrote some good comedies. Segal? I liked Tommy Boy, but come on. Hopefully Segal will be replaced. It seems Uslan has devoted his life to getting superheros on the screen, whether the screen be big or small. I loved Batman Begins and Constantine. Uslan began his career as a production attorney on The Black Stallion, Rocky II, Apocalpse Now and Raging Bull, well I guess if you have to be a lawyer...do it for good movies!

I remember Harry Knowles of Batman and Robin, that if they played it straight it would just be naturally campy, they played it campy and the whole thing just collapsed. This thread has a lot on should it be straight or campy. I think both, it should just be a great film with lots of different elements.

Like Donner's Superman, is it Sci fi, action, a love story, an action film, a fantasy film? YES. Like Donner said in an interview I saw on disc 2 of the special edition of The Lost Boys, people would ask him, is it a horror, action, comedy or teen film? He'd say YES it is. I just hope Captain Marvel goes out there to right wrongs, to develop understanding, and to seek justice for all!

[WallCrawl]

Wasn't Putty the voice of Superman in those American Express commercials with Seinfeld?

Yup.

[terry78]

Anytime I watch emperor's new groove, I always think of captain marvel when I see Kronk.

[InkSlinger]

Thank you Armand Z!
I think the concensus is nobody wants a silly, campy comedy.
Too many childhood hopes and expectations are on the line.
The new Superman movie promises to be a real dud, although I think it will do well because of the special effects junkies. It already makes me cringe when I see the story-line. The only reason I would see it is to see how Jack Larson is doing. I always liked him in the original TV series. These cameos with the original actors can be fun. I may have been one of the few who recognized Kirk Alyn in the first Chris Reeve movie.
I hope they don't load it up and weigh it down with a lot of extraneous stuff.
Warburton is a pretty good choice. The Rock was suggested in one of the other threads.
He's pretty good too.

[Sundancer]

The Rock was suggested in one of the other threads.
He's pretty good too.

Yeah but he doesn't do movies--movies become Rock vehicles, dumbed down for the wrestling crowd to a PG-13 rating (not that that's bad in this case). Walking Tall and the Rundown should have been R. Anything with gunfights should be R IMO.

I want to see this hyped as a Shazam movie, not a Rock movie.

One reason I hate casting threads. I want to focus on the character, not the actor.


I sincerely hope they throw in a whole lot of "Holy Moly!"s.
As for looking like his father, well, a lot of son's are the spittin' image of their fathers'. It's genetic. Look at Allan Hale and Jr. The older Michael Douglas gets, the more of his father can be seen in him. Dan Blocker and his son. There are a lot more. Looking like his father is not the strange deal it's being made out for.
I hope they do a fairly serious movie, like the old movie serial, with a lot of light touches. Whatever they do, they need to keep it simple and not throw in every single character that ever showed up in the comic.
They also need to make sure that when Billy becomes Captain Marvel, we still know it's Billy, not some completely different character. He becomes/is Captain Marvel. He doesn't switch places with some superpowered being from another planet/dimension. That was the magic of the original comic.

.5 Fathers and sons? Jake and Gary Busey. No mistaking there! ;)

1. The Holy Moley's would make it hard to take this seriously on any level.

2. The old serial was strictly geared for action and suspense, no attempt at characterization.

3. The original comic didn't have it clear Billy and Marvel were the same...if anything it showed more they were separate. I'm going by the stories in the four Archive editions. I agree it should be that way though.

[Kurosawa]

I sincerely hope they throw in a whole lot of "Holy Moly!"s.
As for looking like his father, well, a lot of son's are the spittin' image of their fathers'. It's genetic. Look at Allan Hale and Jr. The older Michael Douglas gets, the more of his father can be seen in him. Dan Blocker and his son. There are a lot more. Looking like his father is not the strange deal it's being made out for.
I hope they do a fairly serious movie, like the old movie serial, with a lot of light touches. Whatever they do, they need to keep it simple and not throw in every single character that ever showed up in the comic.
They also need to make sure that when Billy becomes Captain Marvel, we still know it's Billy, not some completely different character. He becomes/is Captain Marvel. He doesn't switch places with some superpowered being from another planet/dimension. That was the magic of the original comic.

Actually in the original comics they left it ambiguous. I find that more interesting. After all, if Captain Marvel is just Billy Batson with powers, then why would he EVER switch back to being Billy? It's just stupid.

[tamron]

My top 3 picks for Captain Marvel would be:

George Eads
Patrick Warburton
Jerry O'Connell

I like Puddy, but there is this vibe from Eads that just makes me think he'd fit Captain Marvel exceedingly well.

http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/9268/33uj1.jpg

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/8049/georgeeads049if.jpg

[The Guard]

Anyone but Patrick Warburton or Bruce Campbell would likely suck in this role. So let's ignore boring topics like casting, and talk about the costume. Myself, I have seen literal translations of his comic book suit, and they look ridiculous. Now, I agree, that parts of his costume must remain intact: I.E, the red/gold color scheme, the lightning bolt on his chest, the button closure on his vest, the gold "wrist thingies", the gold boots, and the cape. Although, if the "small cape" exists, there has got to be a reason given why it's so weensy.

[terry78]

^Any one of those items left intact would still be campy looking, or at the least very homoerotic, so they may as well go all out and leave most of it in.

[InkSlinger]

^Any one of those items left intact would still be campy looking, or at the least very homoerotic, so they may as well go all out and leave most of it in.

Campy? Homoerotic? Why does every comic book Superhero costume in the movies end up being labeled homoerotic? We need to stop throwing labels around like little Republican/McCarthy Nazi's. For shame!
Enough of that. Sorry.

If you look at the costume worn by Tom Tyler in the original movie serial, you'll see everything that's in the comic, with two small differences.
1) The costume looks more like a military uniform, yet still fits snug.
Tylers leg muscles are very defined, as well as his biceps, yet the costume looks like a well-tailored uniform, taking any emphasis off his butt or crotch or nipples.
2) This is where the 'vest button' first shows up. It isn't in the original comic drawings. Captain Marvel's costume is just like Superman's. It looks like a Unitard. This western-shirt vest design was incorporated to give the shirt more of a 'uniform' look and to hide the nehru collar that Tyler needed to keep the cape rope from wearing a groove into his neck. The whole design works without looking campy. (And I'm sure he would have kicked your @## if you had said it looked homoerotic. I wish they had never put those damned nipples on the Batsuit. That ruined it for me.)

As to the 'other items'- the arm bands are based on the British Navy's rank insignia from that time period- the lower sleeves of officers uniforms were encircled with gold bands. A 'Captain's Rank' was 5 gold bands from the wrist up to the elbow. The top gold band had a small gold circle attached, which is why Captain Marvel's armbands look the way they do. The gold waist sash is also from an old officer's dress uniform.
Whether intentionally designed that way or not, the Captain is wearing the rank. The boots are swashbuckler boots, worn by 'men of adventure' in days past. There is a story behind the cape and the 4 florets that are designed along the one edge that I'm sure is related to the Three Musketeers-men who came to the aid of the oppressed and protected the true King of France. (I don't know this for sure.)

Put this same uniform on a muscular guy with the attitude of a police officer and I doubt it would look all that campy, or otherwise.
So I guess our friend from CSI would look pretty awesome in a Captain Marvel 'uniform'.
Do it right, take it seriously, it will work.

[Kurosawa]

Actually the button flap was part of Cap's costume in the earliest Captain Marvel comics:


http://www.popimage.com/reviews/millenium/pics/WhizComics2.jpg

And I agree-they just need to update the Tom Tyler costume.

[SHAFT Agent]

From Billy Madison to Billy Batson? (http://oblivionteam.blogspot.com/2006/04/from-billy-madison-to-billy-batson.html)

[terry78]

Well, Peter Segal does have a history of working with giant man-childs.

[InkSlinger]

Actually the button flap was part of Cap's costume in the earliest Captain Marvel comics:


http://www.popimage.com/reviews/millenium/pics/WhizComics2.jpg

And I agree-they just need to update the Tom Tyler costume.



My apologies.
I forgot about this one.
My collection only goes back as far as issue #47.
I think Eads would look pretty good in an updated version of Tyler's uniform.
Cosidering they've even put a smoother muscle suit under the new Superman suit that Routh wears for definition, do you think there should be more upper body muscle built into the new character suit? Or just see what kind of build the guy they pick has?

[The Flash!]

From Billy Madison to Billy Batson? (http://oblivionteam.blogspot.com/2006/04/from-billy-madison-to-billy-batson.html)

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5869/513/1600/batson2.jpg

Holy **** :eek:

[The Aquaman]

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5869/513/1600/batson2.jpg

Holy **** :eek:

Who's the guy in the CM outfit? :confused:

[InkSlinger]

Who's the guy in the CM outfit? :confused:


This is getting silly.
Drop the Sandler idea. The movie would be a bomb that wouldn't even make it to straight-to-DVD release.
That looks like a fanboy at a comic convention standing behind a lifesize cardboard cutout of Alex Ross's Captain Marvel poster.
(Get'ur picture taken here! Look just like yer favrit superhero!)
Nice pic, but still silly.
I'd rather see The Rock before I'd even think of Sandler. (Holy Moly!)

[Kirk Langstrom]

Who's the guy in the CM outfit? :confused:

It's Brandon Molale (Mr. Deeds, Benchwarmers, The Longest Yard):

http://www.toddwieland.com/2.jpg

http://www.brandonmolale.com/

I think he'd be perfect!... 6'5'', and he's a Stryper fan!!

[InkSlinger]

Looks good to me.
And he's got police attitude, too.

[celldog]

It's Brandon Molale (Mr. Deeds, Benchwarmers, The Longest Yard):

http://www.toddwieland.com/2.jpg

http://www.brandonmolale.com/

I think he'd be perfect!... 6'5'', and he's a Stryper fan!!



THIS GUY IS PERFECT!! LOOK NO FURTHER!! :eek:

[celldog]

LET'S FACE IT. Cap's world is kinda silly.

A talking Tiger??

A Worm that talks??

Uncle Marvel??
Dr. Sivana.....short with big floppy ears always yelling "I'll get that Big Red Cheese!"


So I would be surprised if they made it a comedy. I think that would be a shame. But I would be surprised.

[InkSlinger]

LET'S FACE IT. Cap's world is kinda silly.

A talking Tiger??

A Worm that talks??

Uncle Marvel??
Dr. Sivana.....short with big floppy ears always yelling "I'll get that Big Red Cheese!"


So I would be surprised if they made it a comedy. I think that would be a shame. But I would be surprised.



It wouldn't be so silly if it was actually a fantasy reality conjured up by an injured kid in a hospital. For instance, what if Billy Batson had a head injury he got after being hit by a truck that swiped him when he tried to save a dog in the street from that same truck? When the paramedics get him to the hospital, the doctor who treats him (Morgan Freeman) knows he'll need time to recover, but needs someone to be there talking to him to help 'bring him back'.
Billy's father, a widower, is a captain with the fire department, and arrives at the hospital after Billy is stabilized and learns from the doctor that he'll need someone to stay with him and talk to him as his concussed brain tries to recover. Billy's father, worried about losing his son, says he'll stay as long as he needs to. The doctor, knowing that some people run out of things to talk about pretty quick, gives Billy's father a box of comics to read to Billy, saying they were left over from an orphanage that used to be in the same building the hospital is in. It had been closed shortly before the hospital moved in. Wanna guess which comic books are in the box?
Surprise! They are Whiz Comics, #1 - 50, tattered and torn, but still readable. (Still powerful imagination magic.)
To make this short, Billy's father reads these to his son, who imagines he is the hero in the comic, a hero just like his father. The wizard Shazam is the doctor (Morgan Freeman). Needless to say, after several adventures related to the comic stories, Billy eventually recovers shouting SHAZAM! just as he wakes up. Happy ending, and any silly stuff is part of a kids imagined reality. (He saved the dog, by the way.)
I've seen $200+ million spent on a worse storyline, and I kinda like my plot.
A talking Tiger?- Try the Kntzee from Enterprise, which came from a Larry Niven novel.
Talking worm- try the Goa'uld from StarGate SG-1.
Mad Scientist-try Lex Luthor vowing to get that big Blue Boyscout.
It should be a comedy, but mostly, it should be serious. About hope, trust and ultimately love (between a father and his son)-the true power of Shazam!
(Gosh, I'm so misty, I'll have to leave.)

[terry78]

I don't think too many will appreciate them pulling a St. Elsewhere with this movie.

[InkSlinger]

It wouldn't be a St. Elsewhere, although I can see why you would think that way.
Unlike the TV show, this would be upfront.
St. Elsewhere lied to everyone. After 5 years, they end it with a very lame episode that came out of nowhere and was totally unbelievable. (I think it was 5-)
The movie could open with a young kid being brought into the emergency room and all the related stuff and fade into Billy walking into the old subway station and going through the Captain Marvel process with the wizard, and then going back to the hospital room with the doctor and the boys father. After about 1/2 an hour into the film, it becomes apparent that the boy in the hospital is Billy and the story is about his survival. His becoming Captain Marvel is part of that process. The kicker would be that by the end of the movie, he could really be able to become Captain Marvel.
There will always be a need for heroes, and Billy should be able to become the Captain when he's really needed. You would need a really good writing team, which I understand they have. It just needs to be worked out. Even his sister Mary could become Mary Marvel in this if he needed her help.
Could work. Then again, there may be too many of us cynical bastard-types to let something like this actually happen.

[Captain Kirk]

Just imagine if Donner could get his hands on this character. Captain Marvel has the potential to be a huge film. He could even recruit Williams to score the film. The appeal of the character could work to the same formula as spider-man. A young kid coming to grips with enormous power, and the uncertainty of what to do with. I hope the movie is given the respect that Cap deserves!

[celldog]

It wouldn't be so silly if it was actually a fantasy reality conjured up by an injured kid in a hospital. For instance, what if Billy Batson had a head injury he got after being hit by a truck that swiped him when he tried to save a dog in the street from that same truck? When the paramedics get him to the hospital, the doctor who treats him (Morgan Freeman) knows he'll need time to recover, but needs someone to be there talking to him to help 'bring him back'.
Billy's father, a widower, is a captain with the fire department, and arrives at the hospital after Billy is stabilized and learns from the doctor that he'll need someone to stay with him and talk to him as his concussed brain tries to recover. Billy's father, worried about losing his son, says he'll stay as long as he needs to. The doctor, knowing that some people run out of things to talk about pretty quick, gives Billy's father a box of comics to read to Billy, saying they were left over from an orphanage that used to be in the same building the hospital is in. It had been closed shortly before the hospital moved in. Wanna guess which comic books are in the box?
Surprise! They are Whiz Comics, #1 - 50, tattered and torn, but still readable. (Still powerful imagination magic.)
To make this short,


TOO LATE FOR THAT. :)


Billy's father reads these to his son, who imagines he is the hero in the comic, a hero just like his father. The wizard Shazam is the doctor (Morgan Freeman). Needless to say, after several adventures related to the comic stories, Billy eventually recovers shouting SHAZAM! just as he wakes up. Happy ending, and any silly stuff is part of a kids imagined reality. (He saved the dog, by the way.)
I've seen $200+ million spent on a worse storyline, and I kinda like my plot.
A talking Tiger?- Try the Kntzee from Enterprise, which came from a Larry Niven novel.
Talking worm- try the Goa'uld from StarGate SG-1.
Mad Scientist-try Lex Luthor vowing to get that big Blue Boyscout.
It should be a comedy, but mostly, it should be serious. About hope, trust and ultimately love (between a father and his son)-the true power of Shazam!
(Gosh, I'm so misty, I'll have to leave.)



That too much change from the mythos. The Hulk made that same mistake. I just say leave out the worm and the tawky tiger.

[InkSlinger]

That too much change from the mythos. The Hulk made that same mistake. I just say leave out the worm and the tawky tiger.


(I have noticed a tendancy to oversell when I get excited about a project.)
The Hulk screwed up when they made Banner a real wuss and brought in a father no-one had ever heard of. A crazy one at that. Plus a badly rendered CGI Hulk made it worse. They should have asked Jackson and his WETA Team do it (Kong).
I agree- the talking tiger and the worm need to be set aside. They were, from what I remember, products of the same Comics Code Authority crap the made the Batman a squeaky clean mentor to Robin, the wisecracking orphan. Notice the pattern?
Batman worked best when he was brought back to his darker roots and made into an adult character without the Boy Wonder.
As to the change from the mythos, we may have to see a slight rewrite to bring this up to date for our time. I don't know of any orphan teenager that is self sufficiant with a job as a radio announcer or any of the other stuff the original stories had Billy Batson doing. Social Services anywhere probably wouldn't allow it. (And where exactly did he live? In his own flophouse apartment? Maybe a 20 year old could do that today, but no teenager that I know of.) That's probably why the old serial worked so well. It deviated from the mythos somewhat, yet was true to the basic part of the origin tale. It was enjoyable and serious enough to keep our attention for 12 wonderful episodes. And has continued doing so for 57 years.
It will be interesting to see what they come up with.

[celldog]

(I have noticed a tendancy to oversell when I get excited about a project.)
The Hulk screwed up when they made Banner a real wuss and brought in a father no-one had ever heard of. A crazy one at that. Plus a badly rendered CGI Hulk made it worse. They should have asked Jackson and his WETA Team do it (Kong).


They messed up by going away from the Gamma Bomb blast! The action would have started from the word "GO". That's his origin!! No need to change that! But that's what you get when you Ang "Brokeback" Lee, a non-comic book guy, take hold of this character! He didn't respect the roots
As for the CGI...it was great!! EFX were stunning. Geez.....how else was a 7 foot green power house suppose to look???






I agree- the talking tiger and the worm need to be set aside. They were, from what I remember, products of the same Comics Code Authority crap the made the Batman a squeaky clean mentor to Robin, the wisecracking orphan. Notice the pattern?
Batman worked best when he was brought back to his darker roots and made into an adult character without the Boy Wonder.
As to the change from the mythos, we may have to see a slight rewrite to bring this up to date for our time. I don't know of any orphan teenager that is self sufficiant with a job as a radio announcer or any of the other stuff the original stories had Billy Batson doing.


So true!




Social Services anywhere probably wouldn't allow it. (And where exactly did he live? In his own flophouse apartment? Maybe a 20 year old could do that today, but no teenager that I know of.) That's probably why the old serial worked so well. It deviated from the mythos somewhat, yet was true to the basic part of the origin tale. It was enjoyable and serious enough to keep our attention for 12 wonderful episodes. And has continued doing so for 57 years.
It will be interesting to see what they come up with.



I have that serial. Me and my daughter watch it a lot!! Tom Tyler did that "Talk or I'll.....":mad: thing all the time!! Not a lot of lines!

[Kurosawa]

That too much change from the mythos. The Hulk made that same mistake. I just say leave out the worm and the tawky tiger.

I say bring on the worm and the tiger and just enjoy that it's a kids fantasy movie.

And the worm was the main villian of the ultimate Captain Marvel epic. There were no post-code Fawcett Captain Marvel comics; DC forced them to stop doing comics in 1953.

The worm and the tiger, Cap getting into an arguement and a battle with the world...they were all because Captain Marvel was just a crazy, wild fairy tale type of comic. it NEVER took itself seriously. The serious Golden Age Marvel Family stories were found in Captain Marvel Jr comics.

[celldog]

I say bring on the worm and the tiger and just enjoy that it's a kids fantasy movie.

And the worm was the main villian of the ultimate Captain Marvel epic. There were no post-code Fawcett Captain Marvel comics; DC forced them to stop doing comics in 1953.

The worm and the tiger, Cap getting into an arguement and a battle with the world...they were all because Captain Marvel was just a crazy, wild fairy tale type of comic. it NEVER took itself seriously. The serious Golden Age Marvel Family stories were found in Captain Marvel Jr comics.



Then he gets no respect from here on.......is that what you want??

[InkSlinger]

I still think my original idea of Billy's Adventures as Captain Marvel being a result of recovering from an accident-induced coma may still work and keep everyone happy. Use the Sky Captain movie technique for the adventures and mix in the real life stuff as the hospital scenes where his father is reading the comics to him. If Dr Sivanna is the crazy scientist who discovered a portal to another dimension, which is where the "Goa'uld Worm" came from, then we have a start. That's not so silly now that we've had years of Stargate SG-1 using it. The talking tabby would have to come from the same kind of dimensional portal, although if it's just the Captain against the evil-possessed Dr. it will work better. The first Batman movie worked well because it was just the Bats against the Joker. The sequels had so many badguys coming out of the woodwork that the movies sagged under their own weight and sucked as a result, although I thought #2 was pretty well done (I thought the armor-looking Batsuit was the best).
This gives you an opportunity to suspend disbelief and accept a lot of the characters that would show up.
I had another choice for the Wizard, Shazam, that I think would make people take this more seriously- Omar Sharif. If you ever saw him in the movie Msr. Ibraham, you know what I'm thinking of. He was a treasure to watch and he did a great job making you believe he adopted a kid because he wanted to make his life better. Nothing else to it. Can you see him as the Doctor who treats him in the hospital? His conversations with Billy and his father would always have that twinkle in his eye that made you wonder if what he was talking about was the real thing, or just a figment of Billy's imagination. That's the twist- at the end of the movie, you get the feeling that the Adventures of Captain Marvel were real, and the unspoken joke is the conversation that the Dr./Wizard has with Billy when he is alone in his hospital room and tells him even though the Captain is basically indestructable, Billy isn't (and that he's proud of him for saving the life of the dog that got him in the hospital in the first case).
Why should the Wizard be stuck in a damned cave or forgotten subway tunnel?
He should be one of those characters that shows up in different scenes as different kinds of people to keep an eye on Billy. After all, he's responsible for giving the power of 6 powerful gods to a teenager. He should be around every corner. He can also be the comic relief. He's old as the hills. I think a great sense of humor would be an absolute neccessity to surviving without going mad.
Either that, or give this project to PIXAR and let them do an INCREDIBLES to it.

(And yes, they screwed up big time by not using the Gamma Bomb Blast.
I just wish the Hulk CGI hadn't looked so much like something that had been cut and pasted in from a video game.)

[Kurosawa]

Then he gets no respect from here on.......is that what you want??

Why not? Does EVERYTHING have to "dark" and 'gritty"? Captain Marvel was created to be a whimsical fairy tale style of comic.

Sky High and the Incredibles. That's what a good Shazam movie should be like.

[Ben Breeck]

I don't really need a "Grim and Gritty" Captain Marvel, (Or at least, no more grim and gritty than Tom DeFalco/John Romita Jr. era Spider-Man) but still, "It was all just a dream," would be the most cynical betrayal I have ever seen in a Superhero movie, something worse than what happened to Man-Thing (Derivative Character to be sure, but even he [it?] didn't deserve the treatment he got) or Captain America in 1978.

Unfortunately, my ideas for Captain Marvel are rather vague right now. They involve some exploration of the Batson home life (They aren't all that well off, and since Mr. Batson's death (In Desert Storm, or now Somalia, yeah, I know that will date the movie, but I want it set as much in the present as it can) Mrs. Batson has remarried, to a living personification of Wade Hayes's songs, who spends much more time and money in local bars than on his stepfamily. The Batsons don't have even dialup internet access, and even the stepdad doesn't have a cell phone.

Billy himself is somewhat of a dreamer. Not a nerd, (he's not really that smart) he spends his time in the library, reading fantasy books. (His personal favorites are Robert Jordan, Raymond Feist, L. E. Modessitt, Elizabeth Haydon, Christopher Stasheff, and some real obscure fellows like George Bellaires and Lord Dunsany). Then one day, he is walking home on the street, when he sees some street toughs beating up on an old man for not paying protection, and he sees how an old piece of rope could trip up their brutal endeavor...

[InkSlinger]

I don't really need a "Grim and Gritty" Captain Marvel, (Or at least, no more grim and gritty than Tom DeFalco/John Romita Jr. era Spider-Man) but still, "It was all just a dream," would be the most cynical betrayal I have ever seen in a Superhero movie, something worse than what happened to Man-Thing (Derivative Character to be sure, but even he [it?] didn't deserve the treatment he got) or Captain America in 1978.

(I liked the Salinger Captain America. It has been the only attempt that tried to keep to the original mythos. -InkSlinger)

Unfortunately, my ideas for Captain Marvel are rather vague right now. They involve some exploration of the Batson home life (They aren't all that well off, and since Mr. Batson's death (In Desert Storm, or now Somalia, yeah, I know that will date the movie, but I want it set as much in the present as it can) Mrs. Batson has remarried, to a living personification of Wade Hayes's songs, who spends much more time and money in local bars than on his stepfamily. The Batsons don't have even dialup internet access, and even the stepdad doesn't have a cell phone.

Billy himself is somewhat of a dreamer. Not a nerd, (he's not really that smart) he spends his time in the library, reading fantasy books. (His personal favorites are Robert Jordan, Raymond Feist, L. E. Modessitt, Elizabeth Haydon, Christopher Stasheff, and some real obscure fellows like George Bellaires and Lord Dunsany). Then one day, he is walking home on the street, when he sees some street toughs beating up on an old man for not paying protection, and he sees how an old piece of rope could trip up their brutal endeavor...

(Too much pathos (do you live in New York or Chicago?), but I really like the idea of the mugging. Works well as a way for the wizard to get Billy's attention without being arrested for child-molesting.)

We're not talking about 'grim and gritty'-that's best left to the Batman franchise.
We want this movie and the Captain to be treated serioiusly, not stupidly.
And I never said it was "just a dream". That would be a crap-out.
(And I did say I was a cynical bastard, didn't I?)
The idea was that the in the end, the twist would be that the Adventures actually happened. Billy was replaying during his recovery, in Sky Captain-style flashback, the Adventures that had been immortalized in comics. (Just like Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hitchcock had been in newspaper stories back around the 1900's.)
Billy doesn't need the broken home crap. He wouldn't be a dreamer, he'd be trying too hard to get away from that kind of life. Alex Ross came at that from a different angle in his Shazam! Power of Hope graphic novel. (Very well too, IMA.)
Your fantasy list is too obscure. He'd actuallly be reading guys like Asimov, Norton, Niven, Piers Anthony, Clarke, Donaldson, de Camp and most importantly Kenneth (Lester Dent) Robeson's Doc Savage. The Bama covers for these books are great as a source for a perfectly muscular 'super-man'.
He needs to have a father who he looks up to, who is a firefighter or a policeman, an everyday hero. If his mother died, he'd need him even more.
And he would be "that smart". One thing that was always up front was the fact that this kid was very smart, trusting without being naive, and very resourceful. A regular Boy Scout.
Today's kids (a lot of them) are computer whizzes, and have no problems with most kinds of technology, so he wouldn't be a dreamer, he'd be a pretty good blogger in place of the radio personality he was in the late '40's. Swap out one tech for another.
I haven't had the chance to see Sky High, but I understand that would be a great approach for this.

[GNR]

The comedy route is the only way I could see this happening.It would be really tough to pull off a serious flick with Shazam.

[terry78]

After seeing the new Supes trailer, having this be somewhat humorous would be the only thing to differentiate it from Superman.

[Ben Breeck]

Well, there is the fact that Billy Batson (until he grows up) is still a kid.

Let's face it. With the exception of angst in his origin, Billy Batson Captain Marvel has the most writeable qualities of both Superman and Spiderman.

I'm not opposed to giving him a certain sense of humor (I'm toying in my script with making him a fan of Mork and Mindy), but he needs to have a certain level of seriousness, a certain level of reality to him. He still has homework to do. He still has to deal with bullies, with cliques, with peer pressure. He sees injustice in the world and speaks out about it, but nobody listens to him because he's just a kid. Imagine having to save the world, or at least your local neighborhood when you still have to get the clothes washed the laundromat. And your only two friends are your big sister and that old owner of that used bookstore you saved from a protection shakedown. But the crew now knows you, and they know where you live an with whom...

[Bishop2]

After seeing the new Supes trailer, having this be somewhat humorous would be the only thing to differentiate it from Superman.

I would have to disagree. Especially after seeing how Kevin Spacey is playing Luthor. :down

[Spider - Man]

I'm really excited about this film being made!!

[InkSlinger]

This movie is going to suck sooooooooooo bad. Which is a real shame cause I really like Captain Marvel. It has a huge amount of potential, especially when you add in all the different mythologies, like egyptian with Black Adam.

UNFORTUNATELY...After looking at this director's resume it reminds me of another comedy director named Tim Story who got a big break directing another beloved Comic book...Fantastic Four. I think we all remember how well that flim turned out. Hollow script, lack luster acting (not from everyone just 3/5 the cast.), simply...another forgettable piece of trash. If the human torch effects weren't so nice, I'd have nothing nice to say about the film other than a stellar job of acting on Chiklis and Evans.
In short...Comedy directors...shouldn't direct big budget comic book action movies that are totally out of their expertise. Especially the sort who many, many people invest a lot of emotion on. But I digress...MAYBE this comedy dude will completely blow me away by picking an amazing script, talented actors, and having top-notch special effects, and getting the costume right...then again, there's SO, SO, stuff to ****Up it isn't even funny, not to mention it hasn't happened yet.

Personally...I dont want this dude getting his action movie "practice" with my Shazam! Would you let a surgical intern fresh outta med school remove your heart...or would you want the senior surgeon fixing your ticker? Exactly. Something like this deserves someone familiar with the subject matter. Sandy Collara did a helluva job with batman and he's a DIE HARD Shazam fan..he would have been perfect. Unfortunaly we're going to get another lousy piece of cinema crap. :supes:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0781842/ The director. Lame.


EXACTLY!
I wish they would reconsider and give Sandy Collura the chance.
This movie would be awesome with his talent.
He's not exactly an intern, and his vision and approach would insure this movie would be made with the respect to the fans AND the mythology.

[Dr. Mid-Nite]

Collura would own, no doubt about that. :cool:

[JackBauer]

Collora's nothing more than an overrated egomaniac who has no place directing a REAL movie...

[ToddIsDead]

I'd like to see Collara do a movie with a real scipt, budget, and actors. I want to see what he can really do. That doesn't mean I want him to do Shazam! I've always wanted Dick Donner to do Shazam!

[JackBauer]

I still stand by my suggestion that this is the perfect opportunity for Shane Black (writer of Lethal Weapon 1 and 2, writer and director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) to get the attention he deserves.

[Obi-Ron]

So is this movie still happening or what?

[InkSlinger]

Who knows?
There's been no word from anyone connected to DC.
If it doesn't make it as a movie, I'd like to see a series on SciFi Channel.
But that probably won't happen either.
Major bummer!

[Darthphere]

I hope they take this movie into the same direction of the upcoming Trials of Shazam mini.

[Manhunter]

if it's done right

I don't think hollywood is capable...

[Obi-Ron]

Who knows?
There's been no word from anyone connected to DC.
If it doesn't make it as a movie, I'd like to see a series on SciFi Channel.
But that probably won't happen either.
Major bummer!

No, Major Bummer is a different comic altogether...

[Bishop2]

I hope they take this movie into the same direction of the upcoming Trials of Shazam mini.

Not me. I hope they keep it to Billy Batson - he's the one true Captain Marvel for me.

I just read Superman/Shazam! - First Thunder and was blown away by how they portrayed Billy there. THAT'S how you do a Cap movie.

[Darthphere]

Not me. I hope they keep it to Billy Batson - he's the one true Captain Marvel for me.

I just read Superman/Shazam! - First Thunder and was blown away by how they portrayed Billy there. THAT'S how you do a Cap movie.


I wasnt talking about adpating the sotry, I meant tone.

[ToddIsDead]

Not me. I hope they keep it to Billy Batson - he's the one true Captain Marvel for me.

I just read Superman/Shazam! - First Thunder and was blown away by how they portrayed Billy there. THAT'S how you do a Cap movie.
First Thunder was amazing. I'll be damned if the parts where Cap is just gushing at how much of a fan of Supes or Cap is crying to Supes about his dead best friend and then reveals himself to be Billy or when Clark revels himself to be Supes aren't some of the best Superman/Captain Marvel interacting moments ever.

[InkSlinger]

No, Major Bummer is a different comic altogether...


Thank you Obi-Ron!
You are wise AND perceptive.

(I should have applied to "Who wants to be..." and given them Major Bummer, with the power to disappoint and depress everyone around him, as an alternative to Major Victory (Dude, get a real life.))