ARTNEWSPRESS: Billy Batson is officially coming back to the big screen
The lineup of DC superheroes was invigorated this spring with Shazam!, starring Zachary Levi in a Big-type story of a kid who finds himself in the body of a superhero. The film earned over $364 million worldwide and earned generous reviews – making the confirmation of a sequel seem, if anything, overdue.
Warner Bros. revealed a string of release dates for the upcoming slate this week, with plans for The Matrix 4 in 2021 and The Flash, according to Deadline.
Shazam! 2, as it’s currently titled, is set for a 1 April 2022 release date, with Levi returning to reprise the lead role and joining in the start of the countdown on Twitter.
Alongside Levi, the first film starred Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody, Djimon Hounsou and Asher Angel as Shazam’s young host, who can transform into the eponymous hero whenever he shouts his name.
Upon release, Entertainment Tonight journalist Ash Crosnan tweeted: “#Shazam was damn near PERFECT in my book. My FAVORITE DC movie (DCEU? What are we saying now?) by far.”
DC is currently gearing up for a handful of game-changing releases in 2020, with Harley Quinn’s independent Suicide Squad spinoff, Birds of Prey, starring and produced by Margot Robbie.
Elsewhere, the first trailer for Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, has dropped ahead of the film’s release, on 5 June 2020.
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ELLA KEMP
