Shazam! | April 5, 2019 | 21st Most Profitable Film of 2019

[Jonwo]

12 minutes ago, StevenG said:

"________ can't carry a film"

The same thing that has been said about many characters, from Ant-Man, Iron Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, to even an iconic one like Wonder Woman. We all know how that ended.

A film being "carried" is an elusive, yet oh-so-common concept that nobody can really explain or understand, but I suspect that it might have to do with people thinking that "well, so and so character is so obscure that they cannot sustain a whol narrative around them."

With all due respect, I say "BS!" to that.

Give him a solid script (the heart of any film) that makes him compelling, figure out a great emotional hook for the narrative, get a solid director and a great cast, and watch as a Deadman film succeeds.

I see Deadman more like the Hulk or Black Widow, a great ensemble or supporting character but not great as the lead. I'd support a JLD film with him in it or maybe a TV series but the character hasn't had his own comic book in decades which makes a solo film much tougher to come into fruition. 

[StevenG]

17 minutes ago, Jonwo said:

I see Deadman more like the Hulk or Black Widow, a great ensemble or supporting character but not great as the lead. I'd support a JLD film with him in it or maybe a TV series but the character hasn't had his own comic book in decades which makes a solo film much tougher to come into fruition. 

I see what you mean, but I would totally see that as an advantage.

Obscure character with no recent comic book makes it (in my opinion) a blank slate in terms of potential fandom backlash over changes or whatnot.

As for the Black Widow, I feel that she could indeed be a great solo star.

With Hulk...I got nothing, man. I agree with your assertion: great supporting character but not solo star heft, me thinks...

[Goffe]

19 hours ago, MovieMan89 said:

Damn, that's definitely crazy. That's 10% of his body weight gained in a month in what I'd assume would be muscle. Good on him. 

I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to gain naturally 20lbs of lean mass in one month. If you have bodybuilder’s genetics you can add maybe like 3lbs of lean mass per month. He’s either taking roids or like 80% of that extra mass is actually fat.

Edited February 8, 2018 by Goffe

[Heat Vision]

I hope they don't do a horrible muscle padded suit. They went overboard in JL 

[Spidey Freak]

4 hours ago, Jonwo said:

I see Deadman more like the Hulk or Black Widow, a great ensemble or supporting character but not great as the lead. I'd support a JLD film with him in it or maybe a TV series but the character hasn't had his own comic book in decades which makes a solo film much tougher to come into fruition. 

He had a Jane Eyre-esque gothic romance haunted house title last summer that received a GLAAD nomination: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love

 

Interesting sub-genre for the DCEU to tackle IMO, even though the last gothic romance haunted film didn't exactly set the BO on fire (Crimson Peak). But then again CP was weaksauce as heck (and also the main reason I still haven't bothered to check out The Shape of Water , especially as some of my friends confirmed it's overrated too ).

[KeepItU25071906]

5 hours ago, Heat Vision said:

I hope they don't do a horrible muscle padded suit. They went overboard in JL 

[StevenG]

5 hours ago, Spidey Freak said:

He had a Jane Eyre-esque gothic romance haunted house title last summer that received a GLAAD nomination: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love

 

Interesting sub-genre for the DCEU to tackle IMO, even though the last gothic romance haunted film didn't exactly set the BO on fire (Crimson Peak). But then again CP was weaksauce as heck (and also the main reason I still haven't bothered to check out The Shape of Water , especially as some of my friends confirmed it's overrated too ).

That would be a nice angle.

I am old as heck and some of my favorite comic books growing up starred characters like Deadman, The Phantom Stranger, and the Spectre.

I just loved the bizarre nature of their supernaturally tinged stories in tandem with a quasi-superhero narrative. 

 

Also, why a GLAAD award? Did the comic had some LGBT elements?

Edited February 8, 2018 by StevenG

[Spidey Freak]

3 hours ago, StevenG said:

That would be a nice angle.

I am old as heck and some of my favorite comic books growing up starred characters like Deadman, The Phantom Stranger, and the Spectre.

I just loved the bizarre nature of their supernaturally tinged stories in tandem with a quasi-superhero narrative. 

 

Also, why a GLAAD award? Did the comic had some LGBT elements?

I was first exposed to the bizarro fantasy realm of DC and Vertigo horror/eerie titles through Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (for the longest time, I didn't know that most of those characters were pre-established in DC Comics). That particular corner of characters and stories have a lot of potential to bring something new to the CBM genre table now that the New Line Horror folks are taking charge of DC Films. 

 

Regarding the GLAAD nom, there's a non-binary character in the story who has a romance with the heroine who helps Deadman with solving the ghost mystery.

[StevenG]

1 hour ago, Spidey Freak said:

I was first exposed to the bizarro fantasy realm of DC and Vertigo horror/eerie titles through Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (for the longest time, I didn't know that most of those characters were pre-established in DC Comics). That particular corner of characters and stories have a lot of potential to bring something new to the CBM genre table now that the New Line Horror folks are taking charge of DC Films. 

 

Regarding the GLAAD nom, there's a non-binary character in the story who has a romance with the heroine who helps Deadman with solving the ghost mystery.

Cool! Thanks!

[ChipDerby]

14 hours ago, Goffe said:

I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to gain naturally 20lbs of lean mass in one month. If you have bodybuilder’s genetics you can add maybe like 3lbs of lean mass per month. He’s either taking roids or like 80% of that extra mass is actually fat.

 

WE GOT A BODYBUILDING EXPERT OVER HEREEEEEE

[Mojoguy]

Nobody expected Shazam to be the next DCEU movie after Aquabro.

Edited February 8, 2018 by Mojoguy

[Spidey Freak]

30 minutes ago, Mojoguy said:

Nobody expected Shazam to be the next DCEU movie after Aquabro.

It was the next movie after Aquaman since the first time the DCEU movie schedule was released in October 2014: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/10/15/dc_comics_film_schedule_warner_bros_announces_at_least_10_new_superhero.html

 

The Flash is the only movie that has missed its date on that original schedule so far. "Justice League Part 1" simply became Justice League (which explains a LOT of things about that film), while Wonder Woman 2 got fast-tracked after the massive success of the original film.

[Mojoguy]

I meant no one was expecting them to do a Shazam movie in the first place.

I doubt anyone was expecting them to announce a Suicide Squad after BvS either.

WB is clearly the announce stuff out of left field CBM studio right behind Sony's Spidey Verse films.

[MrGlass2]

2 minutes ago, Mojoguy said:

I meant no one was expecting them to do a Shazam movie in the first place.

I doubt anyone was expecting them to announce a Suicide Squad after BvS either.

Yes that was a surprise, but have you been frozen in carbonite for 5 years?

[Jonwo]

2 hours ago, MrGlass2 said:

Yes that was a surprise, but have you been frozen in carbonite for 5 years?

The movie's been development for ages, it was going to happen sooner or later.

[Fancyarcher]

3 minutes ago, Jonwo said:

The movie's been development for ages, it was going to happen sooner or later.

Still remember when Peter Segal was attached to direct, and William Goldman was apparently working on the script. That was before or around the time Iron Man came out. Film's been in the works for a LONG time!

[Jonwo]

1 minute ago, Fancyarcher said:

Still remember when Peter Segal was attached to direct, and William Goldman was apparently working on the script. That was before or around the time Iron Man came out. Film's been in the works for a LONG time!

Similar cycle development as Wonder Woman, some projects take a long time to come into fruition, 

[Fancyarcher]

2 minutes ago, Jonwo said:

Similar cycle development as Wonder Woman, some projects take a long time to come into fruition, 

It took the success of the MCU for WB to finally start pushing out / considering more superhero films basically. I can't complain, though I was always frustrated that Shazam never seem to go anywhere, which is why I'm glad it's finally getting made now. Better late then never. 

[Jonwo]

19 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

It took the success of the MCU for WB to finally start pushing out / considering more superhero films basically. I can't complain, though I was always frustrated that Shazam never seem to go anywhere, which is why I'm glad it's finally getting made now. Better late then never. 

I think WB were always on the lookout for a successful non Batman or Superman film but Marvel's success really made them realises there were other characters in their library. If Aquaman and Shazam are successful, it gives WB more confident to look at other characters like the Doom Patrol or revisit the ones that didn't work first time like Green Lantern

[Fancyarcher]

5 minutes ago, Jonwo said:

I think WB were always on the lookout for a successful non Batman or Superman film but Marvel's success really made them realises there were other characters in their library. If Aquaman and Shazam are successful, it gives WB more confident to look at other characters like the Doom Patrol or revisit the ones that didn't work first time like Green Lantern

Opening up the potential to adapt other characters is the key thing here. As much as people complain about the abundance of superhero film, I think other studios using their own library of characters that they own is a good thing (I'm still waiting for that great Green Lantern film too).