Zach Levi will play the title hero in DC and New Line’s upcoming “Shazam,” an individual with knowledge of the project tells TheWrap.
David Sandberg, the horror filmmaker behind “Lights Out” and “Annabelle: Creation,” will direct the film. Filming will begin in February 2018 for a likely 2019 release.
Shazam debuted in 1939 with the original name of Captain Marvel. Created by C.C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character was first published by Fawcett Comics. He is the alter-ego of teenager Billy Batson who can transform into a full-grown adult superhero with the power of six gods after saying “Shazam!”
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“Shazam!” also marks a stratospheric rise for Sandberg, who was directing horror movies on his iPhone until Warner Bros. caught wind of what he was doing and adapted one of his films into 2016 surprise hit “Lights Out.”
Levi is best known for NBC’s cult hit spy-comedy series “Chuck” which ran from 2007-2012. This isn’t Zach’s first time playing a superhero as he next up has a cameo Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Ragnarok” as Fandral, one of Thor’s companions. Levi recently appeared in NBC’s “Heroes Reborn” and the network’s Eva Longoria comedy “Telenovela.”
Other contenders included Zane Holtz, Billy Magnussen, Derek Theler, and Jake McDorman.
Levi is repped by UTA and McKuin Frankel.
