Shazam! (2019)
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- The original script for Shazam! was written over a decade before production finally began in 2019.
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing David F. Sandberg's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
Shazam! is a 2019 American superhero comedy film directed by David F. Sandberg, based on the DC Comics character. Zachary Levi stars as Shazam, the superhero alter ego of Billy Batson, a 14-year-old foster kid played by Asher Angel, who is chosen by an ancient wizard to become the Champion of Eternity.
By saying the word "Shazam," Billy transforms into an adult superhero with godlike powers including super strength, flight, invulnerability, and lightning manipulation. The film's comedy derives primarily from the fantasy of a teenager suddenly inhabiting an adult superhero body, with Billy and his foster brother Freddy Freeman, played by Jack Dylan Grazer, testing his new abilities in increasingly hilarious ways โ buying beer, charging phones with lightning, and filming superhero feats for social media. David F.
Sandberg, who came from the horror genre with Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, brought unexpected warmth and humor to the DCEU while retaining genuine menace in the villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, played by Mark Strong. The film's heart was its theme of found family โ Billy's search for his biological mother gives way to his realization that his foster family is his real family.
Shazam! earned $366 million worldwide on a $100 million budget.
