Sunday, September 7, 2014

Directing Shazam

Today, we will look at the possible directors for the Shazam movie.



Edgar Wright
Why he should direct: He has a lot of buzz surrounding his leaving the Ant-Man movie. Defecting to DC could be seen as nerdom payback for Joss Whedon leaving a developing Wonder Woman movie to direct The Avengers. His "Scott Pilgrim Vs The World" was a fan favorite, if not a box office blockbuster.
Why he should not direct: His leaving Ant-Man shows he may be too temperamental, and New Line/WB, after Whedon, may not want to deal with him.
Conclusion: 50-50.



Chris Miller & Phil Lord
Why they should direct: This directing team also has a lot of buzz among fans wanting to see them take on Shazam with their action-comedy style.
Why they should not direct: They already signed on to do a reboot of the Greatest American Hero, so they are most likely not available.
Conclusion: They are out of the equation



Peter Segal
Why he should direct: Technically, until a new director is formally announced, he is still the assigned director.
Why he should not direct: His movies have been average at best. He has always been in over his head while attached to Shazam.
Conclusion: He's out... maybe.



Kerry Conran
Why he should direct: His "Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow" was a visual marvel. He would bring an exciting, retro look to the film.
Why he should not direct: Sky Captain ended up not being a massive hit, and he hasn't directed anything of note since.
Conclusion: Won't happen.



Sandy Collera
Why he should direct: His "Batman: Dead End" fan film was hugely popular with fans, and was partly responsible for the new approach to the character Chris Nolan took. After the success of "Batman: Dead End", he tried to parlay that momentum into getting the Shazam gig during the William Goldman era.
Why he should not direct: He never was able to transition to mainstream directing, and has gone back to special effects.
Conclusion: Slim to none.



James Gunn
Why he should direct: "Guardians of the Galaxy" is this summer's biggest hit, and he did it with the humor and charm necessary for Shazam.
Why he should not direct: He's a Disney guy.
Conclusion: It would be a coup to get him, but its an impossible long shot.



Tim Burton
Why he should direct: He would be a slam dunk to capture the overall weirdness of the Shazam universe, and still give it a dark edge while keeping it fun.
Why he should not direct: He might make Shazam too weird, and there are some critiques that he's just not as good a film maker as he used to be.
Conclusion: This could be a "comeback" project for him, to prove he's not past his prime. Keep an eye on him.



Brett Ratner
Why he should direct: He directed Johnson's "Hercules" movie, so they have a rapport going.
Why he should not direct: "Hercules" was not a big hit, and his "X-Men: The Last Stand" is scorned by many fans, and many comic book fans just don't like him.
Conclusion: As a producer and star, if Johnson wants him, New Line will strive to please him. But will Johnson want him after "Hercules'" lackluster box office?



Brad Bird
Why he should direct: "The Iron Giant". "The Incredibles". He transitioned to live action films. On paper, he's the perfect director for the job.
Why he should not direct: No reason at all other than a scheduling problem.
Conclusion: New Line would be foolish not to offer it to him.



Sam Raimi
Why he should direct: Directed two of the best superhero movies of all time. Blends action-adventure, melodrama-pathos and fun-humor flawlessly.
Why he should not direct: No valid reason, though some fanboys still hold a grudge against him because "Spider-Man 3" didn't live up to their expectations.
Conclusion: New Line would be foolish not to offer it to him.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good list. Out of all the them the most likely would probably be Tim Burton and Rami . Brad Bird is the best choice but he's Disney's Boy. However, don't count out Miller & Lord. Those guys are in WB's wheel house so there is a shot.