Shazam! star Zachary Levi expects to begin filming Shazam 2 in the middle of 2020. Under the new leadership of Walter Hamada, the outlook of the DC Extended Universe (as it has unofficially been dubbed) is changing. One of the biggest has been in reducing the budgets of their films when possible, which is the tactic they used for Shazam!. This turned out to be a genius move for the movie as, despite rave reviews from critics and fans alike, it grossed only $363 million worldwide.

While some have attempted to say that this was not a successful result for Warner Bros. and DC Films, that is not true. The film is viewed as a hit by the studio to the point where they didn't waste much time moving forward with Shazam 2 by bringing back the original film's writer. The sequel has yet to officially be announced by the powers that be, but David F. Sanberg and Peter Safran - the director and producer respectively behind the original film - have already expressed their interests to return.

Related: Everything We Know About Shazam 2

Any sequel will once again bring back most of the main cast, including Zachary Levi, who plays the superhero known as Shazam that Billy Batson (Asher Angel) transforms into. During a new interview with AP News, Levi revealed that he expects the sequel's turnaround to be quick. As he told the outlet, he believes filming will take place in the first half of 2020.

Levi said the film created a bigger platform for his career. The actor said scriptwriting for the sequel has already begun and expects to start filming either in late spring or early summer next year.

It would be surprising if Levi were speaking out of term here, so it is more likely that this is the information he's been given by the studio. With the pre-planned start range, then Levi knows when he needs to be available to shoot the film, but also so he can start planning his workout regimen again. He packed on a lot of muscle to play the part in the first film and will need to be at that same level of physical fitness for the sequel, which can be a process that takes several months.

Outside of Levi's schedule though, part of the reason why WB and DC are moving so quickly on Shazam 2 is because of the young cast at the center of them. The first movie was filmed during 2018, and the difference in Angel's look, that of Jack Dylan Grazer, and the other foster kids will be substantial in just a two-year gap. Getting all of them back in front of cameras as soon as possible helps minimize any need to jump too far forward in Shazam's story.

Even though it is still early and plot details are not yet confirmed, the set up for Shazam 2 came during the ending of the first film. Mr. Mind finds Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong), teasing that the two of them could be the main villains of the sequel. Additionally, the movement on Black Adam with the hiring of Jaume Collet-Sera will help push the larger mythos of this franchise forward. As long as this production timeline remains for Shazam 2, then fans may be able to see it in theaters by 2021 if it moves fast, while 2022 is probably a safer bet at this point given DC's release schedule for 2021 already.

MORE: Shazam 2 Can Make Black Adam A Hero, Not A Villain

Source: AP News

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