was Shazam too campy for general audiences?

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

I think general audiences are ok with camp/silliness. Look at the Harry Potter franchise.

If anything the marketing was just a bit flat. No sense of spectacle. Not outrageous or funny enough like a Deadpool to get by on comedy alone (and even Deadpool had a ton of badass action in the trailers), and not enough magic or sense of wonder.

The latter is what I would have leaned into more, marketing it more like one of early Harry Potter films, showing a fun magical world and a whimsical score. That’s what sets Shazam apart from all other superhero fare. I guess they wouldn’t want to spoil the Shazam family in the trailer, but I would have at shown more of the Seven Deadly Sins (with more colourful interesting designs like in the comics).

Instead of Shazam blowing bubblegum on a white backdrop in the poster, it could have been something a lot more visually magical and amazing like this:

 

[Micromind]

1. Shazam had wrong release date period. Look at other movies released around the same month, none were able to earn much (Pet Sematary, Dumbo, Hellboy, The Curse of La Llorona).

2. Add to that Marvel opening the online advance booking for Endgame a day before Shazam was to be released in theaters, crashing the booking servers, who was buying Shazam ! tickets then ?

'Avengers: Endgame' tickets presale crashes AMC Theatres site, creates long Fandango waits

The massive demand for Avengers: Endgame tickets brought down AMC's website

3. Also, Endgame and to a lesser extent, Captain Marvel was full of star cast, whereas Shazam had Zachary Levi and Mark Strong, who are not that big a draw among the general audiences.

4. Then, both Captain Marvel and Avengers Endgame were "must see" movies for people who were invested in MCU franchise (20+ movies), people don't have unlimited supply of cash to watch 3 comic book movies within a period of one month (or, 45 days)

5. Shazam's marketing budget was much, much less than that of CM and Endgame and the marketing sucked. They released the first trailer 10 months before movie's release date.

6. Lastly, the reputation of MCU is much better than that of DCEU, so that was certainly one of the factors.

 

[mclay18]

1. Shazam had wrong release date period. Look at other movies released around the same month, none were able to earn much (Pet Sematary, Dumbo, Hellboy, The Curse of La Llorona).

[...]

5. Shazam's marketing budget was much, much less than that of CM and Endgame and the marketing sucked. They released the first trailer 10 months before movie's release date.

1. It was in the best possible date WB could give it in the spring/early summer frame. It came out a month after CM and three weeks before Endgame, which gave it some breathing room. Would you have scheduled it against a big title like The Lion King or Hobbes & Shaw?

The only other date that I could've seen Shazam! doing better was February 14, May 31 or June 7, given that Alita, Godzilla 2, Dark Phoenix, MIB Int'l and Shaft bombed.

5. The marketing was adequate, but not bad. WB knew they had a good movie on their hands, so didn't they have to spend a lot of money on marketing (and spent a modest number to make the movie). They let the paid advance screenings and WOM speak for themselves. Could it have made more if the marketing department focused on the film's darker elements? Maybe.

Pretty sure WB is going to give the sequel a more prime release date and focus on hyping it properly.

 

[Rorschach2012]

I think a sequel is a horrible idea. It’s going to bomb if they make Mister Mind the villain. I love the character and a good film could be centered around him, but the first film really wasn’t a big hit with audiences, Shazam didn’t really capture audiences imagination. They didn’t know what demographic to aim for.

I really think the best option is to just wait until Black Adam comes out, and then do a Black Adam vs Shazam movie. You guys can doubt me all you want but feel free to refer back to this post when Shazam 2 with Mister Mind and no Dwayne Johnson is a financial disappointment.

 

[heathjack]

tell me what do you guys think of shazam tv series!! they had it back in the 1970s!!
shazam them song:

 

[Rorschach2012]

Tried watching the pilot the other day and couldn’t get through 15 mins of it. So awful

 

[Lantern Venom]

Tried watching the pilot the other day and couldn’t get through 15 mins of it. So awful

That's pretty much every comic book adaptation in the 60s and 70s = cheap, cheesy, and crammed with Hollywood tropes.

 

[heathjack]

i liked the incredible hulk staring Bill Bixby & Lou Ferrigno! it was kind of fake but it wasn't too bad!! I also liked Lynda Carter wonder women!! i also like adam west batman but i know lot of people don't liked it!! I also even liked george reeves super man!! but they didn't have the special effects liked they do today!!

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

I finally got to see this... and I'm just not sure. I wanted to love it, but something just wasn't clicking.

 

[Rorschach2012]

i liked the incredible hulk staring Bill Bixby & Lou Ferrigno! it was kind of fake but it wasn't too bad!! I also liked Lynda Carter wonder women!! i also like adam west batman but i know lot of people don't liked it!! I also even liked george reeves super man!! but they didn't have the special effects liked they do today!!

Adam West Batman is ****ing fantastic. A truly great show that has stood the test of time.

 

[heathjack]

yea i thought about getting the complete series on blu ray!! did you ever seen the Adam west batman movie? i higly recommend it!! yes that made adam west batman movie!! but they only made 1 movie!!

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

I still maintain that this is easily the best film in the DCEU and easily the best source to screen adaptation they've released to date. The problem with this movie is the material itself. The general audience simply doesn't care about the character. Warner hasn't properly pushed the character in years.

 

[Schlosser85]

I agree, it's the most unreservedly enjoyable thing to come out of the DCEU so far, and you could argue Aquaman is more campy than Shazam.

 

[Madam-Shogun]

Aquaman is more campy than Shazam.

I actually hope they get rid of the intentional cheese for the sequel.

 

[TheScarecrow]

I actually hope they get rid of the intentional cheese for the sequel.

I don't. It was fun!

I do hope they do away with the overuse of explosions, though. That was a little ridiculous. Everytime someone spoke there was an explosion.

 

[Madam-Shogun]

I don't. It was fun!

I do hope they do away with the overuse of explosions, though. That was a little ridiculous. Everytime someone spoke there was an explosion.

That's most critics complaint about that film, the cheesiness. I personally don't think Aquaman needs it.

 

[InCali]

Adam West Batman is ****ing fantastic. A truly great show that has stood the test of time.

But not campy....right??? LOL. I loved it too. I was going to say that Shazam was maybe a shade on the too campy side, but then you reminded me of Batman, so, I guess I'd have to say no. I saw it opening day and rather liked it, but, TBH, it wasn't one of my favorites. I'm not quite sure why (anymore..... LOL).

 

[chamber-music]

I think a sequel is a horrible idea. It’s going to bomb if they make Mister Mind the villain. I love the character and a good film could be centered around him, but the first film really wasn’t a big hit with audiences, Shazam didn’t really capture audiences imagination. They didn’t know what demographic to aim for.

I really think the best option is to just wait until Black Adam comes out, and then do a Black Adam vs Shazam movie. You guys can doubt me all you want but feel free to refer back to this post when Shazam 2 with Mister Mind and no Dwayne Johnson is a financial disappointment.

They can't really afford to wait too long because the younger cast will age out of their roles.

They should just have the Rock's Black Adam as the villain in the sequel and he can have his solo film afterwards.

I don't see why a solo Black Adam film would need to come before his appearance in a Shazam film.