‘Shazam’ Director Says Earlier Versions Of Script Featured Black Adam

DC’s Shazam film will be helmed by director David F. Sandberg, a filmmaker best known for the horror films Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation. Since his involvement with the project was confirmed, Sandberg has been open about his limited familiarity with the character and recently discussed which Shazam comics he has been reading for research purposes during an interview with Film Riot.

Sandberg confirmed that a script has been written and that the film will be the next DC project to shoot:

“There’s a script […] It’s the next DC movie to shoot.”

Sandberg also commented on which comic books he has been reading to familiarize himself with the character:

“I’m taking it all in. Some of those really old ones are quite fun, when he’s, like, fighting Hitler. Stuff like that. No, cause he’s been around since the 40s for, like, as long as Superman. So there’s a lot to read and that’s also interesting because he sort of has a couple of different origin stories or a couple of different takes on it. You know, you have the most recent sort of Geoff Johns version and then you have ordwell version and then you have those really old versions.”

Reaffirming reports that Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam will not be appearing in the film, Sandberg did reveal that there were versions of the script that included the DC Comics villain:

“There’ve been variations of the script, like before I came along, where… you know, variations where Black Adam was in and out and, you know. But now, this is about Shazam.”

Details on the film’s plot are currently unknown, though most tellings of the comic book story depict Billy Batson as an orphan child who is granted the ability to become an adult hero with godlike powers by an ancient Wizard.

Shazam! does not have a release date, but the film is scheduled to begin production in February 2018.

Source: Film Riot