The director of DC's upcoming Shazam thinks he's a good match for the film and says he hopes to announce the cast soon. The DCEU has had all sorts of trouble getting their various shared universe properties to the big screen in the past, but the continued success of Wonder Woman seems to have reinvigorated them. While Shazam has long held a release date in 2019, little word has emerged about the project over the years. That all changed a few weeks ago, however, when David F. Sandberg was confirmed as the film's director.

Best known for the indie horror film Lights Out and the upcoming The Conjuring spinoff Annabelle: Creation, Sandberg will certainly be switching tonal gears. Like James Gunn before him, Sandberg will be moving from low-budget horror to a fun, big budget, spectacle film. And so far, he's showing he has the lighthearted approach necessary to handle the wish-fulfillment character. In the time since he was announced as the director of Shazam, he's already joked about the hero's costume and teased a humorous battle between the protagonist and Superman. But he's also had more serious things to say about the project.

Speaking with ET, Sandberg said casting announcements for Shazam should be forthcoming. When asked when fans can expect any news on that front, he responded "hopefully soon." He also touched on his history with the character Shazam and why it makes him a good choice to helm the movie.

"To be honest, it was not a superhero I grew up with either. When I grew up in Sweden, there wasn't a lot of Shazam around. So it's someone who I've learned to love later in life as well, so I can relate to [people who are] new to Shazam. I think [it] might be a good thing that I'm doing it, because I know what you need to learn."

Of course, even in the States, Shazam isn't a super well-known character. And while Sandberg didn't grow up with the hero, he seems to indicate he became familiar with him before he was chosen for the film. Still, fans often worry when a creator isn't versed in the material they're adapting. Luckily, Sandberg brings up a good point that we haven't really heard before in regards to coming to the material fresh.

Like Sandberg, most audiences won't know who Shazam is or what he's about. Because the director is new to the hero, however, he'll be able to navigate the most important aspects of Shazam's story for newcomers. While that's not a guarantee he'll nail the tone of the character or get his backstory right, it's a good sign. Besides, Shazam's history is rife with complications and retcons anyway.

With the movie said to be the next DCEU film to go into production, we should continue learning more about the project in the weeks to come. And with a spring 2019 release date, it won't be too much longer until a cast and synopsis arrive for Shazam.

Next: Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam Won't be in Shazam

Source: ET

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