Shazam! Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg reveals one of the film's early scenes surprisingly took the longest to shoot. As arguably the DCEU's most light-hearted installment, Shazam! enjoyed enormous success when it hit theaters back in 2019. Helmed by Sandberg, Shazam! saw Asher Angel star as Billy Batson, a young boy who is granted the ability to transform into the super-powered alter ego known as Shazam, played by Zachary Levi. The film also starred Jack Dylan Grazer as Billy's foster brother Freddy, as well as Mark Strong as villain Doctor Sivana.
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Now set to continue Billy's story, Shazam! Fury of the Gods will reunite audiences with the young hero and his now super-powered family. The film is set to see Shazam go up against two exciting new villains, the daughters of Atlas, with Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu set to take on the roles of Hespera and Kalypso, respectively. The film will also see West Side Story star Rachel Zegler make her DCEU debut, with the film's recent trailer having offered the best look yet at her mysterious character. For the most part, details surrounding Shazam! Fury of the Gods have been keep tightly under wraps, though the film's director is now offering some interesting insight into the sequel's production.
During a recent Instagram Q&A, Sandberg offers some interesting trivia about shooting Shazam! Fury of the Gods. When asked which scene required the most takes, Sandberg reveals it was actually a scene from the first day of shooting, and that it took 28 or 29 takes to get right. The director continues that it wasn't a particularly difficult scene, but he was hoping to get it right to avoid any future reshoots. Sandberg also shares a photo from what is likely the scene in question, showing both Grazer and Angel on the monitor. Check out his answer below:
The question to Sandberg comes after various rumors had begun to circulate that Shazam! Fury of the Gods had entered reshoots, following the most recent change to its release date, which the director also addressed in the Q&A. The film has seen a number of major shifts to its release date, with it most recently having been moved back to 2023 from its previous December 2022 spot. At the time of this new change, Sandberg took to Twitter to share that this new release date would enable audiences to watch Shazam! Fury of the Gods in IMAX, as it no longer conflicts with James Cameron's highly anticipated Avatar: The Way of Water.
Sandberg's insight into Shazam! Fury of the Gods' first day of shooting is certainly interesting, as is his openness in discussing those times when things don't necessarily go exactly to plan. It's certainly understandable that scenes at the stage would be tricky to nail down, as, like the director states, there is likely to be an adjustment period to starting any new project. Sandberg often welcomes fan questions, and with a slightly extended period of time between now and the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, many will likely be hoping to learn some more on-set trivia from the director in the meantime.