The working title for Shazam has been revealed.
Pre-production on the project is underway with principal photography reportedly set to begin early next year. Thanks to Omega Underground, we’ve learned the film will be using the working title of Franklin.
The working title itself is possibly a reference to Benjamin Franklin who first proposed the kite experiment in 1752, using conductive rods to attract lightning to an early capacitor which would prove that lightning itself was indeed electricity.
Plot details on Shazam remain under wraps with the only confirmed information regarding the New Line Cinema production produced in conjunction with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment being that it will not feature Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) as the villain of the Billy Batson-centric film.
Shazam is a DC Comics character who first 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. Shazam himself is the alter-ego of the aforementioned teenage Billy Batson who has the ability to say the word “Shazam,” and transform into an adult superhero with the power of six mythological gods after saying the word.
Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on Shazam and the future of the DC Extended Universe as we learn it.
NOTE: An earlier version of this story stated that Shazam would begin filming by the end of this year, but it’s unclear if that’s actually the case. Previous reports have indicated that the project would kick off production in January or February of next year.
Source: Omega Underground