Warner Bros dropped the first trailer for Shazam! last year at San Diego Comic-Con. In the last month, we’ve also been treated a nearly-minute long preview and a behind-the-scenes featurette incorporating existing footage, but many fans are clamoring for another full-length trailer to be released before Shazam! arrives in the spring. Not being a stranger to the reactions of comic book movie fans, Aquaman director James Wan gave Shazam! director David F. Sandberg some advice on how to handle the backlash online. He wrote:
When AQ trailer was held back till ComicCon, people freaked out. When the movie was pushed from Oct to Dec, people laughed, ‘Oh, it’s in trouble...DC doesn’t know what it’s doing...yada yada.’ When MPR dropped on our week, ‘AQ is getting slaughtered.’ And so on, and so on...(When the trailers/extended one finally arrived, everyone was like, ‘Oh, now you’re showing too much...We’ve seen the whole movie.’ lol) [David Sandberg] Best thing you can do is ignore all the noise and distraction, and focus on your project and do your best. That’s all you can do.
James Wan provided this advice after David F. Sandberg said on Twitter that there weren’t any specific updates on the next Shazam! trailer he could provide, though because the movie is coming out in less than two months, obviously there won’t be any shortage of marketing for the World’s Mightiest Mortal’s first theatrical movie in these coming weeks. In any case, Wan offered his two cents on how to deal with fan concerns and complaints, from some fans being upset about the Aquaman trailer taking so long to arrive to other fans being displeased with how much footage the later previews were showing. Whatever flews his way, Wan stayed focused on Aquaman and ignored folks complaining on social media.
That’s good advice for David F. Sandberg to consider, especially with Shazam! so close to hitting the big screen. Having made over $1.1 billion worldwide, clearly tuning out the noise and distraction worked for James Wan on Aquaman. Whether or not Shazam! comes anywhere close to hitting Aquaman’s level of commercial success, judging by what he initially posted, Sandberg already knows to make sure the final product turns out well and to just have fun with all the demands for the next Shazam! trailer, like turning Mark Strong’s Thaddeus Sivana blue to poke fun at the Aladdin Genie controversy.
Partially adapted from the character’s New 52 origin story, but also bringing in other elements from his decades-long comic book history, Shazam! will see the adolescent Billy Batson meeting the mysterious Wizard and being given the ability to turn into a mighty, adult superheroes. With the help of his foster brother Freddie, Billy will have to get the hang of his new powers quickly, as he’ll eventually clash with Dr. Sivana, a scientist whose unlocked the secrets of magic after not being chosen as the Wizard’s champion when he was a child.
Shazam! will work its magic in theaters on April 5, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. Aquaman is wrapping up its time on the big screen, but you’ll be able to watch the movie in the comfort of your own home when it comes on Digital HD March 5, with the Blu-ray and DVD copies following on March 26.
