While the future of DC movies seems to be up in the air, there are still plenty of super-powered projects on the Warner Bros. release calendar to get excited for. One of these will be the comic giant's last film of the year, Shazam: Fury of the Gods. The project is helmed by Shazam! director David F. Sandberg, and will see the return of star Zachary Levi as Billy Batson (aka Shazam).
Fury of the Gods seems to be upping the ante on nearly every level when compared to the first Shazam! film. Hollywood icon Helen Mirren has joined the cast as the villainous Hespera, and there have even been hints at other DC heroes showing up in the film.
Thus far, Shazam! 2 has had a fairly easy lead-up to release, being one of the few upcoming DC films to not get delayed (actually getting pushed up) in a recent string of pushes. That was until now, as the film has been moved back ever so slightly.
Shazam Receives Slight Release Date Push
According to Deadline, Shazam!: Fury of the Gods' release date shifted five days, moving from Friday, December 16, 2022, to Wednesday, December 21.
This move means the DC sequel will no longer be directly competing with James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of the Water, which will now be the lone action blockbuster released on December 16.
In response to this news Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg tweeted, poking fun at the move saying "You’re welcome Cameron!"
When Avatar Speaks, You Listen
To some, this move is going to seem confusing, but it does make a lot of sense. By pushing Fury of the Gods ever so slightly, Warner Bros. is avoiding opening day competition with Avatar 2.
If The Way of the Water is going to be anything like the first Avatar film, it will be a mega-hit at the box office. So for Warner to look at that and shiver in their boots does seem justified.
Shazam! did well financially, but when compared to the earnings of Avatar, it was mere pennies. Plus, this move might actually be a smarter spot of the DC sequel with or without a James Cameron sci-fi epic to compete with.
Wednesday, December 21, will lead right into the Christmas long weekend, meaning that a great many a family will venture to the theater after opening gifts and eating copious amounts of turkey. That Christmas weekend is one of the better weeks at the box office of the year.
This new release date means Fury of the Gods will surely be the movie of Winter Break 2022. Kids love light-hearted comedy, and if the first film was any indication Shazam! 2 will deliver that in spades.
