Holy Moley, eh?
David F. Sandberg is taking the Big Red Cheese north of the border and descending upon the Canadian province of Ontario to begin principal photography in several locations for the epic new addition to the DCEU, Shazam!
Given that taxes in Hollywood make American locations extremely pricey, Sandberg is following the trend of choosing the cheaper alternative by shooting in Canadian locations to ensure additional production costs don’t affect the film’s assigned budget. Last year’s Suicide Squad’s principal photography was completed in Toronto, ON. Those walking along Bay Street or living in the then-Trump Tower could look down and see the infamous chase scene between Joker’s purple Lamborghini and Ben Affleck’s Batmobile zooming past their windows. On the televised circuit, meanwhile, a majority of the Arrowverse series on The CW – Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow – do their shooting in Vancouver and wrap things up in Los Angeles.
Production is slated to begin on February 5th, 2018 and wrap up on May 20th to keep on schedule for their projected spring 2019 release. Reportedly it will be operating under the alias “Franklin.”
While a common practice in Hollywood, it’s harder to maintain discretion given we live in the age of information; all it takes is one podcast or uploaded photo online for fans to connect the dots. Given the production length, it is reasonable to assume that the bulk of the work will take place in Ontario. However, it is too soon to tell whether the majority of principal photography will be on a sound stage based in the province.
Casting is still underway to find both the right actors to play pre-teen Billy Batson, and his adult alter-ego, Shazam. WWE Superstar John Cena has been rumored to be considered for Shazam so far.
Shazam! Is based on C.C. Beck’s 1940s creation for Fawcett comics before being bought by DC. Orphaned Billy Batson is taken before the ancient wizard known as Shazam, chosen as his successor in his fight against the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man. When he speaks the Wizard’s name, a magic lightning bolt strikes Billy and transforms him into the World’s Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel (later renamed Shazam), imbued with the powers of the Greek Gods.
Although Shazam normally battles his polar opposite, Black Adam, the Wizard’s first champion-turned-rogue will not appear in the film. Rather, he is being reserved for his own movie project, which will star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the title role. That will disappoint wrestling fans given that both WWE superstars had clashed on several pay-per-view events, most notably Wrestlemania.
Stay tuned for more info regarding this film and the rest of the DCEU as it drops.
