Shazam! Captain Marvel is back on according to Black Adam

A while back the script writer, John August, said that the Captain Marvel film was dead.

Now Dwayne Johnson, who was promoting Race to Witch Mountain, gave MTV an update on Captain Marvel:

“I think we’re starting from page one,” Johnson told MTV News. “From what I know talking to [director] Pete Segal, there were creative differences between the script that came in and what the studio’s ideas were.”

“That’s what happens when you start developing a script — there are so many people involved because it’s such a big project and everybody has their opinion in it creatively,” explained Johnson. “It’s too bad when you can’t come to an agreement.”

Despite the project’s troubles, Johnson said he’s still “amped-up” to play the role of the hero’s similarly super-powered nemesis, adding that Black Adam is the only comic book character he’s encountered thus far that appealed to him.

“I’m sure the movie eventually will get made the way that we all collectively want to make the movie,” said Johnson, “so when that happens, that’s going to be bad-ass.”

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The Random - Catch up edition - Astro Boy, Captain Marvel, Piranha 3D, Iron Man 2, The Hobbit, Sex and the City, Galactica, Observe and Report,

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Despite reports of its death, producer Michael Uslan says the Shazam movie is still alive and kicking "I will only say one thing — and all I will do is quote Samuel Clemens to you. This is direct from Captain Marvel himself: 'The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated'"... (full details)

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Shazam! Captain Marvel has left the building

John August is the screenwriter who has been working on Shazam!, the big-screen adaptation of the DC comic character Captain Marvel since 2007. He has recently posted an article about the whole process. This is his description of the character:

Captain Marvel is a superhero roughly as powerful as Superman, minus the heat-vision and cold breath. What’s unique about the character is that in ordinary life, he’s teenager Billy Batson. Speaking the name of the wizard who gave him his powers (Shazam) calls down a magic thunderbolt, transforming him into the studly superhero. But he’s still a teenager in there.

If this to you sounds, “Like Big, but with superpowers,” then congratulations! You now understand Hollywood.

His script has gone through a number of changes due to different studios involvement, writers strikes etc. The first draft was

...a comedy with a lot of action. It mostly centers on Billy Batson getting and learning how to use his powers, and discovering what happened to his parents that left him an orphan. One of the appeals of the project is that Billy is a comic book hero who actually reads comic books.

Warner Bros then got hold of the rights and John writes

When we turned the new draft in to the studio, we got a reaction that made me wonder if anyone at Warners had actually read previous drafts or the associated notes. The studio felt the movie played too young. They wanted edgier. They wanted Billy to be older. They wanted Black Adam to appear much earlier. (I pointed out that Black Adam appears on page one, but never got a response)

He then wrote one final draft

I took them at their (written) word and delivered what they said they wanted: a much harder movie, with a lot more Black Adam. This wasn’t “Big, with super powers” anymore. It was Black Adam versus Captain Marvel, with a considerable push into dark territory and liminal badlands like Nanda Parbat. It wasn’t the action-comedy I’d signed on to write, but it was a movie I could envision getting made. The producer and director liked it, and turned it in to the studio while I was in France.

By the time I got back, the project was dead.

By “dead,” I mean that it won’t be happening. I don’t think it’s on the studio’s radar at all. It may come back in another incarnation, with another writer, but I can say with considerable certainty that it won’t be the version I developed.

So it looks as if the Big Red Cheese won't be in the cinema's anytime soon. Check out the full article over on John August's blog as it's a cracking read and he has many more articles and tips for any scriptwriters out there.

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The Random

Going to whack a load of stories in the Random to cover the past few days.

Morgan Freeman, 71 has been in a bad motor crash. He has a broken arm, broken elbow and minor shoulder damage. He is expected to make a good recovery. Last year it was announced the actor would play former South African president Nelson Mandela in forthcoming film The Human Factor.

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Jim Hill Media explains how the clip for the Tron sequel came about.

Pierce Brosnan has confirmed that only "a sliver" of 1964's Topkapi will be used in his "Thomas Crown Affair" sequel which has the billionaire thief after a rare diamond. Angelina Jolie is in the running for the female lead.

Samuel L. Jackson is super keen to play Nick Fury in a larger role than his "Iron Man" cameo, saying that he may cameo in other upcoming Marvel films including "Iron Man 2," "Thor" and "Captain America".

Pictures are out of the various characters in Disney/Pixar's "Up" over at PixarBlog

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Keanu Reeves is being rumored for the lead role of Spike in the Cowboy Bebop live-action movie. The big-budget film version of the anime classic is being put on a fast track for 2010.

Judd Apatow says that Russell Brand will reprise his "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" rock star character in "Get Him to the Greek". 'Sarah Marshall' director Nicholas Stoller has written and will be directing.

Nearly a year ago The Rock pledged he'd be playing Black Adam in the upcoming "Shazam" movie, then last weekend he talked about where the movie and role stand right now.

Richard Dean Anderson talks a little bit about the possibility of a MacGyver movie. He says "I have heard something actually. I guess it might be happening."

Pixar have floated around a couple of ideas for a "Monsters, Inc." sequel

Official sites are up for Race to Witch Mountain and Friday the 13th.

Discuss in the forum.

The Random

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