FEATURE: Five Directors Who Should Be Considered for SHAZAM

Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema’s Shazam movie was confirmed a couple of years ago. Dwayne Johnson is attached to play villain/anti-hero Black Adam, with Darren Lemke writing the script. Since then, we’ve gotten occasional updates on the film, including confirmation that it will be set in the DC Extended Universe. (In case anyone had any doubt.) The movie is currently set for release on April 5th, 2019.

As of this writing, a director has yet to be hired for Shazam. This isn’t surprising, as the priority right now is to perfect the movie’s script before moving forward with pre-production. And we’re probably a couple years away from filming. That being said, there are plenty of filmmakers who would do a great job in bringing Billy Batson’s world to life on the big screen.

Below, I’ve compiled a list of five (more accurately six) directors who should be considered for Shazam.

Brad Peyton

Peyton has directed several big movies for New Line Cinema. He previously helmed Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and San Andreas for the studio, while he is attached to sequels to both movies, as well as Rampage. Another thing these movies have in common? They all star Dwayne Johnson. Peyton, Johnson and New Line clearly enjoy working together, so why not re-team again for Shazam?

Peyton is capable of making fun, family-friendly tentpoles. He was attached to direct Lobo at one point, while he expressed interest in doing a Superman movie. Not to mention, he was recently hired to helm comic book adaptation Malignant Man. So, he clearly has at least some interest in this genre.

All of these things make Peyton a viable candidate for Shazam – if his schedule allows for it, of course. Personally, I would be surprised if he isn’t at least on the shortlist for this movie.

Sam Raimi

Raimi is no stranger to comic book movies. His Spider-Man trilogy helped change the genre as we know it, with the first two films being some of the best superhero films ever. Since the end of the trilogy, Raimi hasn’t directed many films, with his last big movie being 2013’s Oz: The Great and Powerful. He’s also attached to direct World War 3 for Warner Bros. at some point.

If Raimi ever returns to the superhero genre, then Shazam would be a great choice. Raimi knows how to create fun and entertaining tentpoles, but they also have plenty of heart. This is exactly what Shazam should be. It’d also be interesting to see Raimi tackle the magical side of Shazam’s mythos. And he could even get Danny Elfman to compose the score, which would just be beautiful.

Again, Raimi has made substantial contributions to the CBM genre, so he may be hesitant about returning. But if he does, then doing Shazam would be wonderful.

Justin Lin

Lin is certainly experienced with big budget blockbusters. He directed four installments of the Fast & Furious franchise, two of which starred Dwayne Johnson. He also helmed Star Trek Beyond, one of the best movies of this summer. Lin can make a thrilling action-adventure film, and with Star Trek, he did well with both heavy visual effects and substance. Thus, he would be a good choice for directing Shazam.

However, one thing that could get in the way of this is Lin’s schedule. He is currently attached to The Shaolin Temple and Space Jam 2, while there’s a desire for him to return for one more Fast & Furious sequel. Production start dates for these films have yet to be confirmed, but there is a possibility that one or more of them could keep Lin busy while Shazam undergoes production.

But if Lin can make room on his schedule, he would do a great job with Shazam. He has experience working with Johnson, he has a good handle on CG-heavy action, and he knows how to make a fun action film with heart.

Shawn Levy

Levy has a solid track record with lighthearted, family-friendly films. He directed the Night at the Museum trilogy, while he has some action experience with Real Steel. He also helmed two episodes of the excellent Netflix series Stranger Things. He was even attached to direct a Flash movie at some point. Ultimately, he would be a great choice for Shazam.

Levy hasn’t directed a film since the last Night at the Museum installment in 2014. He’s attached to helm a Starman remake at some point, but it’s unknown whether this could conflict with Shazam‘s production schedule. But based on his past filmography, Levy has the potential to do something special with Shazam. He can pull off action, special effects and plenty of heart.

While Levy may have missed out on directing The Flash, Shazam would be a great comic book movie debut for him.

Chris Miller and Phil Lord

And finally, we have two of the most highly in-demand directors right now. Miller and Lord have an excellent track record, and they’re known for taking seemingly terrible ideas and turning them into great movies. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street and The LEGO Movie were all very successful, exceeding expectations. And it’s about time for them to direct a superhero movie.

Miller and Lord previously wrote a story treatment for The Flash, so they’re already somewhat involved in the DC Extended Universe. While they couldn’t direct this movie – they’re shooting the Han Solo film next year – how about Shazam? They don’t have any other directorial projects lined up after Han Solo, so theoretically, they could be available for a 2018 shoot.

But why Shazam? Again, this movie is aiming to be a fun, lighthearted action film. Miller and Lord do that in spades with every other movie. Their movies are entertaining, family-friendly (except for the R-rated Jump Street films of course), but most importantly, they’re full of heart and substance. Quite simply, Miller and Lord would knock Shazam out of the park.

Honorable Mentions: Rawson Marshall Thurber, Brad Bird, Adam McKay, Edgar Wright

Who do you think should direct Shazam?