Bill Birch and Geoff Johns to Write Shazam!

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Bill Birch and Geoff Johns to Write Shazam!

Source:The Hollywood Reporter, Variety

August 19, 2009

Warner Bros. Pictures has hired actor-turned-writer Bill Birch and Geoff Johns to write Shazam!, the adaptation of the DC Comics series featuring Captain Marvel.

Get Smart helmer Peter Segal remains on board to direct and he'll also produce with his Callahan Filmworks partner Michael Ewing. Johns will also consult on the project.

Shazam! centers on teenaged Billy Batson, who transforms into the superhero when he says the word "Shazam!" The studio is now looking to go back to the original DC Comics source material for inspiration.

Previous drafts have been written by John August, William Goldman, Bryan Goluboff and the team of Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow.

Birch is currently writing Warner Bros.' One Finger Salute to which Segal is attached to direct.

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Posted by: Phire or Fire. on August 19, 2009 at 23:06:53

sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet

Posted by: Connor Kent on August 19, 2009 at 23:07:43

I trust Geoff Johns. Official.

Posted by: ultramagnus on August 19, 2009 at 23:12:46

Geoff Johns will do something special to Captain Marvel, the same way he did for Green Lantern (Rebirth, Sinestro Corps War and the current Blackest Night storyline) and Flash (Flash Rebirth). FINALLY , DC Comics and Warner Bros is becoming wiser in their decision making.

Posted by: Owen Fletch on August 19, 2009 at 23:53:06

Johns is the hottest comic writer in the business today. I've met him at several comic conventions and he's a nice guy as well. Turn him loose on captain marvel and Shazam! instant hit. Man i'd love warner bros. to get him to write the screenplay for Green Lantern.......

Posted by: GK1 on August 20, 2009 at 00:05:16

while I am excited not just that this is getting made finally, but they have an actual comic book writer writing, i hope this doesn't turn out like a frank miller movie.

Posted by: Batzarro http://bestgeekeverpr.blogspot.com/ on August 20, 2009 at 00:07:51

Yeah, Warner's always hiring writers. I'm waiting to see if they get it done this time.

Posted by: comichero on August 20, 2009 at 00:17:15

Did he say suck it? I like this guy he is a go getter!

Posted by: Grayskull Prime on August 20, 2009 at 00:23:19

What? They actually hired someone who knows what they're doing to write the script? It'll never get made now. That would be too much to hope for.

Posted by: Heath Ledger's Dead Corpse on August 20, 2009 at 00:26:49

Seriously, who gives a ****? All hail TDK!

Posted by: Chill yo... on August 20, 2009 at 00:35:15

As long as they work in nude shower scenes of Mary Marvel I could care less if Cookie monster wrote the script

Posted by: house on August 20, 2009 at 00:48:01

Well with Superman possibly gone they have to focus on another similar hero I guess. Don't make it suck WB... and for gods sake please make him fight someone.

Posted by: krypto on August 20, 2009 at 00:49:31

Geoff Johns should write every DC movie!

Posted by: HulkForHire on August 20, 2009 at 00:53:20

At least the Seigel/Shuster family descendents can't interfere and screw with this one!

Posted by: golden age historian on August 20, 2009 at 01:05:52

as much as i would like to see this movie made, it has permanent development hell written all over it, i hate to say. but it would be nice to see him on the big screen. nobody give this character the respect he deserves. in the golden age he sold more comics than anyone. and, did you know he was the first superhero to ever be put on film? thats right, republic serials tried to make a superman serial but had trouble getting the rights so they went fawcett instead. its time to brig him back. btw they would eventually do a superman serial. and there was a lawsuit between dc and fawcett that lasted for 13 years over copyright infringement that was dropped when fawcett went bust in '53. dc would aquire the rights in the early 70's but marvel had purchased the name and so dc cant market him as captain marvel. thats why people often mistake his name as shazam. there. i think that covers everything.

Posted by: Aaron on August 20, 2009 at 01:09:05

I guess with Superman in limbo, they really need to get this project up and running.

Posted by: Steelsheen on August 20, 2009 at 01:23:27

excellent news! Geoff can give Shazzam the much needed prestige it deserves without reinventing the wheel.

Posted by: Impro on August 20, 2009 at 01:42:40

I agree with chill yo..

Posted by: Harish on August 20, 2009 at 02:24:21

Sounds like great news! Exciting stuff.

Posted by: Spider-ham on August 20, 2009 at 02:25:29

The original comic had some very silly characters in it. Like of his arch ene,ies was a talking book worm. And one of his friends was a talking tiger who was a librarian or something. THey should stay far away from those characters.

Posted by: kmaguire on August 20, 2009 at 02:46:58

I don't know if the foot dragging on this project is a good thing or a bad thing. It's a good thing if every script they got so far has been crap. It's a bad thing if they just don't know what they want to do with it. I'm not thrilled with the director. He seems a bit pedestrian to my tastes. I'd like someone with more imagination, like maybe Alfonso Cuaron. I don't believe this will get it any closer to being made. I thought it would have been a lock with either Goldman or August. but, who knows.

Posted by: TheTOBster21 on August 20, 2009 at 02:52:56

i'm not gonna say this movie is gonna suck, but I have NO faith in this movie at all. Hopefully the movie will be awesome and I am proven wrong.

Posted by: God's tom on August 20, 2009 at 03:06:57

I hate to say it, but Shazam may not work for this generation - not if they stay true to the comic.
I'm afraid they're gonna lose faith in trying to sell the concept to a modern audience, & they're gonna try to "update" it, or change the costume, etc.
I mean...c'mon! do you really see the kids of this day & age getting into "the big red cheeze"?

Posted by: CongoBill on August 20, 2009 at 03:12:32

Won't get made. Look at Warner's track record of DC properties. Batman and Superman.

Posted by: steven on August 20, 2009 at 03:21:33

somehow unless this film is another batman movie. i doubt this is going to be made. i know wb is going to make green lantern since its already being mentioned in newsweek and entertainment weekly. however, until i hear about this movie from either one of those sources or a trailer at least, then i don't believe it'll be made. although, if they did make it, i hope they bring back "the rock" to play Black Adam again like they had planned originally.

Posted by: mojojackson on August 20, 2009 at 04:19:37

A lot of people have been throwing Sam Worthington's name around for Superman, but I'd rather see him as Captain Marvel. He has the same slightly squinty eyes, strong brow and vaguely cubic head. Plus, even though I've only seen him in Terminator Salvation, I have an inkling he can really act.

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