Shazam!!!

[protocida]

I just prefer Molale.

 

[Webhead2006]

yea i remember alot of folks were talking about him as an actor they would like to see as marvel.

 

[Brian Braddock]

I'm still going with Molale.

 

[Billy Batson]

I just want this film done. I no longer care for any actor. Just give me a little boy yelling SHAZAM!, bright lighting flash and smoke, an older man appears in red tights with a thunderbolt on his chest and a short white cape attached to a gold rope. I'll be ecstatic like a Steeler's fan.

 

[Billy Batson]

I'm crossing my fingers for CM appearing on The Brave and The Bold.

 

[Webhead2006]

i want to see superman in brave and the bold i know he been mentioned a few times in the show right?

 

[OwlBoy]

I don't recall them ever mentioning him really

 

[Webhead2006]

I remember plastic man mentioning supes in his first episode.

 

[Billy Batson]

Superman is a given. Stop stealing Captain Marvel's Thunder.

 

[That-Guy]

I agree that Molale would make a good Captain Marvel. Unfortunately, this movie will probably never be made, and that sucks. There is a lot of potential with this character.

 

[Webhead2006]

well maybe it will get moving again if hex and gl do well next year and wb and dc see other non batman characters are viable.

 

[Chewy]

Last we heard anything about DC/Warner Brothers’ plans for a live-action movie based on Golden Age comic book hero Captain Marvel (often referred to by the character’s power-imbuing cry of “SHAZAM!&#8221, screenwriter John August had very publicly announced “it won’t be happening” — but producer Michael Uslan subsequently hinted that there still might be some life in the project. So, when “Race to Witch Mountain” star Dwayne Johnson (previously announced as playing the hero’s nemesis, Black Adam) arrived in town to promote his new film, we had to ask him for a “Captain Marvel” update.

“I think we’re starting from page one,” Johnson told MTV News. “From what I know talking to [director] Pete Segal, there were creative differences between the script that came in and what the studio’s ideas were.”

“That’s what happens when you start developing a script — there are so many people involved because it’s such a big project and everybody has their opinion in it creatively,” explained Johnson. “It’s too bad when you can’t come to an agreement.”

Despite the project’s troubles, Johnson said he’s still “amped-up” to play the role of the hero’s similarly super-powered nemesis, adding that Black Adam is the only comic book character he’s encountered thus far that appealed to him.

“I’m sure the movie eventually will get made the way that we all collectively want to make the movie,” said Johnson, “so when that happens, that’s going to be bad-ass.”

SOURCE

 

[Captainhulk]

http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/01/06/the-shazam-movie-is-dead-john-august-explains-why/

The Shazam Movie is Dead - John August Explains Why
January 6, 2009
Source: John August's Blog
by Alex Billington


Oh no, the Shazam movie is dead! John August, one of Hollywood's most accessible screenwriters, published a lengthy blog article yesterday explaining how the writer's strike, miscommunication with various studio execs, and other unfortunate occurrences over the last few years eventually killed the movie. We have been following this Shazam project for a very long time, including publishing some solid updates from director Peter Segal, who has been attached as the director nearly as long as John August. But as August now says, "I don't think it's on the studio's radar at all. It may come back in another incarnation, with another writer, but I can say with considerable certainty that it won't be the version I developed."

August explains that the first draft he wrote was described as "a comedy with a lot of action. It mostly centers on Billy Batson getting and learning how to use his powers, and discovering what happened to his parents that left him an orphan. One of the appeals of the project is that Billy is a comic book hero who actually reads comic books. Black Adam ultimately becomes the adversary, but he works much like Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies — a dark force to battle at the end, not a constant presence throughout. I wrote the draft I had pitched, and was very happy with how it turned out." At the time this first draft was finished, this was still a New Line Cinema project (before they were dead, too).

After turning it and getting notes from New Line execs and producers, the writer's strike hit, and August remained in the dark for 100 days. When the strike was over, Shazam had become a Warner Brothers movie. And that's where things really started to fall apart. "When we turned the new draft in to the studio, we got a reaction that made me wonder if anyone at Warners had actually read previous drafts or the associated notes. The studio felt the movie played too young. They wanted edgier. They wanted Billy to be older. They wanted Black Adam to appear much earlier." August started a bit of a fight with them, trying to setup calls to discuss the notes, but didn't get anywhere. He blames two of Warner Brothers' big movies.

In retrospect, I can point to two summer Warner Bros. movies that I believe defined the real issue at hand: Speed Racer and The Dark Knight. The first flopped; the second triumphed. Given only those two examples, one can understand why a studio might wish for their movies to be more like the latter. But to do so ignores the success of Iron Man, which spent most of its running time as a comedic origin story, and the even more pertinent example of WB's own Harry Potter series. I tried to make this case, to no avail.

So he turned in one more draft and headed to France to tour Paris and Marseille with other screenwriters. August explains that the draft he turned in at that point had changed dramatically. "This wasn't 'Big, with super powers' anymore. It was Black Adam versus Captain Marvel, with a considerable push into dark territory and liminal badlands like Nanda Parbat. It wasn't the action-comedy I'd signed on to write, but it was a movie I could envision getting made." When he returned from France, the project was dead. "There were dozens of meetings and phone calls in which I had no participation. As a reader, you should certainly consider the possibility that I wrote ****** scripts they simply didn't want to make."

Admittedly, I'm not a Shazam fan, but after writing about the project for so long, I was very excited to see it come together. It felt like the perfect movie for Peter Segal to direct and the fans of the comic were excited to see it on the big screen as well. I thank John August for giving us this rare inside look at what happened with this project. If only more screenwriters and directors were this open and accessible, Hollywood would be a much different place. And as for Shazam, I hope one day it comes back from the dead. In fact, as far as we know, Warner Brothers could've hired a new screenwriter by now. Maybe Peter Segal is still directing it, even though it may take some extra time to come together. RIP Billy Batson!

 

[protocida]

Old, but it's always sad to hear.

The movie isn't DEAD, tough. It's... comatose.

 

[Webhead2006]

Well that article was from 6 months ago if you read the date of the article. Its too bad it fell apart maybe if hex/gl do well it could be brought back into the fold.

 

[Billy Batson]

Hey folks just wanted to post my new Mary Marvel: Jadagrace B.K.A: Star from Terminator Salvation.
I know the film is dead so easy with the negativity please. Relax I'm just thinking out aloud.

 

[Anubis]

You mean for Mary Batson-Bromfeld or actually putting a kid in the costume?

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

I still hope to read the John August script. He's a good and intelligent screenwriter.

 

[Dark Knight]

http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/01/06/the-shazam-movie-is-dead-john-august-explains-why/

The Shazam Movie is Dead - John August Explains Why
January 6, 2009
Source: John August's Blog
by Alex Billington


Oh no, the Shazam movie is dead! John August, one of Hollywood's most accessible screenwriters, published a lengthy blog article yesterday explaining how the writer's strike, miscommunication with various studio execs, and other unfortunate occurrences over the last few years eventually killed the movie. We have been following this Shazam project for a very long time, including publishing some solid updates from director Peter Segal, who has been attached as the director nearly as long as John August. But as August now says, "I don't think it's on the studio's radar at all. It may come back in another incarnation, with another writer, but I can say with considerable certainty that it won't be the version I developed."

August explains that the first draft he wrote was described as "a comedy with a lot of action. It mostly centers on Billy Batson getting and learning how to use his powers, and discovering what happened to his parents that left him an orphan. One of the appeals of the project is that Billy is a comic book hero who actually reads comic books. Black Adam ultimately becomes the adversary, but he works much like Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies — a dark force to battle at the end, not a constant presence throughout. I wrote the draft I had pitched, and was very happy with how it turned out." At the time this first draft was finished, this was still a New Line Cinema project (before they were dead, too).

After turning it and getting notes from New Line execs and producers, the writer's strike hit, and August remained in the dark for 100 days. When the strike was over, Shazam had become a Warner Brothers movie. And that's where things really started to fall apart. "When we turned the new draft in to the studio, we got a reaction that made me wonder if anyone at Warners had actually read previous drafts or the associated notes. The studio felt the movie played too young. They wanted edgier. They wanted Billy to be older. They wanted Black Adam to appear much earlier." August started a bit of a fight with them, trying to setup calls to discuss the notes, but didn't get anywhere. He blames two of Warner Brothers' big movies.

In retrospect, I can point to two summer Warner Bros. movies that I believe defined the real issue at hand: Speed Racer and The Dark Knight. The first flopped; the second triumphed. Given only those two examples, one can understand why a studio might wish for their movies to be more like the latter. But to do so ignores the success of Iron Man, which spent most of its running time as a comedic origin story, and the even more pertinent example of WB's own Harry Potter series. I tried to make this case, to no avail.

So he turned in one more draft and headed to France to tour Paris and Marseille with other screenwriters. August explains that the draft he turned in at that point had changed dramatically. "This wasn't 'Big, with super powers' anymore. It was Black Adam versus Captain Marvel, with a considerable push into dark territory and liminal badlands like Nanda Parbat. It wasn't the action-comedy I'd signed on to write, but it was a movie I could envision getting made." When he returned from France, the project was dead. "There were dozens of meetings and phone calls in which I had no participation. As a reader, you should certainly consider the possibility that I wrote ****** scripts they simply didn't want to make."

Admittedly, I'm not a Shazam fan, but after writing about the project for so long, I was very excited to see it come together. It felt like the perfect movie for Peter Segal to direct and the fans of the comic were excited to see it on the big screen as well. I thank John August for giving us this rare inside look at what happened with this project. If only more screenwriters and directors were this open and accessible, Hollywood would be a much different place. And as for Shazam, I hope one day it comes back from the dead. In fact, as far as we know, Warner Brothers could've hired a new screenwriter by now. Maybe Peter Segal is still directing it, even though it may take some extra time to come together. RIP Billy Batson!

Wow! Thats too bad, John August is a good screenwriter and his idea of having a BIG with superpowers mixed in with some elements from the Harry Potter films for this SHAZAM film would have probably done well. As long as the budget was not to high it would have made money.

WB's needs to wake up. They could have made this film for about 60 million and it would have made a profit. It would have attracted the base comic genre crowd, along with teens and families.

 

[Billy Batson]

You mean for Mary Batson-Bromfeld or actually putting a kid in the costume?

either or,

depending on the route the studio takes with the character.

 

[Norm3]

I think they need to leave out the Marvel family.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

They are going to announce at SDCC that this project has been moving along ever since August left.t:


I'd rather Mary show up but not Mary Marvel. Save it for a sequel.

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

Does anyone have the August (John) draft? I think it will be a fun read.

 

[Brian Braddock]

They are going to announce at SDCC that this project has been moving along ever since August left.t:

Funnilly enough, I live for the day that a studio suddenly comes out and says, ''Y'know that [insert hero's name] movie that you all thought wasn't happening? Well, we filmed it secretly and it's coming out in theatres tommorrow. Enjoy''................

It'd be a refreshing change to having to wait two whole years for the final product, only living off bits of scraps for information in the meantime.

It'll never happen but, hey, I can dream, can't I?

 

[Webhead2006]

Yea it would be an interesting twist to see a film of this scope to be shot totally in secret.