One of the next big DC Extended Universe projects in the pipeline, David F. Sandberg's Shazam! will be headed north of the border next year into Canada, as it shoots for a Spring 2019 release date.

Despite the popular idea that big-budget movies are made in Hollywood, the taxes and shooting expenses in major cities like Los Angeles and New York make it not very financially viable to shoot in those areas. Therefore, a lot of the biggest blockbusters search elsewhere for areas that won't negatively affect the budget bottom line, a la cities in the south like New Orleans and Atlanta. Cities like Vancouver, Toronto and other areas of Canada also apply here, as studios are just as likely to go north towards the much-cheaper alternative than staying in major American metropolises and taking the expensive cost.

Related: Baby Daddy Actor Hints at Shazam! Audition

It now appears that the DC Extended Universe tentpole Shazam! will be the next project to head into Canadian territory for an extended period of filming. Being helmed by Annabelle: Creation and Lights Out director David F. Sandberg, Canadian filming informational site Whats Filming.ca has posted Shazam! as the latest entry into their logs. According to the site, the film will be shooting in the province of Ontario, which is the most populated area of Canada and is where Toronto is located. Production there will start on February 5th and conclude on May 4th.

If you live in Ontario and are looking to pinpoint exactly where the Shazam! production will be taking place, it's important to note that the film will be shooting under the secret title Franklin to try to divert as many members of the paparazzi and general public as possible. This is common practice among Hollywood movies, but has become harder to navigate given the age of the Internet, where secret names have become common knowledge among film fans. Unless the majority of shooting takes place on sound stages, set photos from the film will become available soon enough.

Shazam! is following in the leads of a wide variety of superhero films that have shot in Canada in the past  like The Incredible Hulk, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Kick-Ass, Deadpool 2and Suicide Squad.  The length of the production being there makes it seem like it'll be the main base of principal photography, though that also could mean a variety of things in regards to the second unit. We still don't know which actors will join Sandberg on the set of the film as casting is still in the process for the titular hero and the supporting roles. We do know that Dwayne Johnson won't be appearing as the villainous Black Adam in this initial Shazam! film, other than a possible cameo or tease of sorts for the future of the DCEU.

NEXT: Everything You Need to Know About the DCEU's Future

Source: WhatsFilming.ca

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