With Sony’s Spider-Man 3 and Warner Bros. eagerly awaited Superman Returns poised to set the box office on fire, New Line is hoping to erect its own superhero tentpole with Shazam!, a screen adaptation of DC Comics’ Captain Marvel franchise. Hired to helm the pic is Peter Segal, who has been making a living directing such Adam Sandler hits as The Longest Yard, 50 First Dates and Anger Management.
In the comics, a young boy named Billy Batson shouts the magic word “Shazam!” and gets an instant puberty boost, becoming Captain Marvel, an adult superhero with the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Aries, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury.
The comic-book favorite was serialized on screen in 1941 with The Adventures of Captain Marvel and was resurrected for television with the 1974 series, Shazam! This latest attempt to breathe new life into the franchise has been a long time in the making. Scribes attached to the project include Oscar-winner William Goldman (All the President’s Men, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and Bryan Goluboff (The Basketball Diaries).
Shazam! is being produced New Line exec Chris Godscik and Michael Euslan (Constantine), while Mark Kaufman and Daryl Friemark oversee for New Line. In addition to directing, Segal will assume producer duties, along with his Callahan Filmworks partner, Michael Ewing. Segal is also set to direct a feature film version of the classic Don Adams spy spoof TV series Get Smart for Warner Bros.
Leave a Reply