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.

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.

 

[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.

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.

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.

 

[Nightwing 52]

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.

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