Top 10 Facts About ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ From Director David F. Sandberg

March 20, 2023March 20, 2023 Mike Manalo

The box office is certainly feeling the “fury of the gods” as Shazam! Fury of the Gods has officially debuted at #1 opening weekend! And as audiences have discovered, director David F. Sandberg has managed to lovingly craft homages to Harryhausen throughout the film, showcasing his youthful spirit within each frame of the picture. But now that the film is out, we at The Nerds of Color are finally able to dive into things a bit more, as we were given the opportunity to attend an event with Sandberg to find out several secrets from him about the making of the movie!

DC Comics, Movies, Reviews3 Comments

NOC Review: ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ Charms a Bit Less than its Predecessor

March 15, 2023March 17, 2023 Mike Manalo

It’s Shazam! Week at The Nerds of Color. And so far, we’ve been incredibly lucky to have been able to chat with stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, and Jack Dylan Grazer about their new film Shazam! Fury of the Gods. And it has been a true honor for us because the first Shazam! film was an absolute delight. However, with Fury of the Gods coming to theaters this Friday, the question becomes — will lightning strike twice? Let’s break down the answer for this right now!

DC Comics, Interview, Movies2 Comments

Girlfriends, Unicorns, and Villains with ‘Shazam!’ Stars Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer

March 14, 2023March 13, 2023 Mike Manalo

Part of the charm of the first Shazam! film was watching the sweet coming-of-age friendship between foster brothers Billy Batson and Freddie Freeman develop, as they navigated the superhero business together. Portrayed by Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer, the two actors sparked the characters to life with their chemistry and relatable comedic timing. Now, with Shazam! Fury of the Gods coming out, we get to see both the characters and the actors mature further as the adventures of Freddie and Billy, as well as the rest of the Shazam-ily, continue!

DC Comics, Interview, Movies2 Comments

Finding the Magic Words with Zachary Levi of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’

March 13, 2023March 12, 2023 Mike Manalo

Welcome to Shazam! week folks! Back in 2019, Billy Batson made his glorious film debut with the release of the utterly charming Shazam! The film ended up gaining some of the best reviews in the DCEU, and was a financial success. And a large part of that was due to the terrific performance from star Zachary Levi, who truly embraced the zany Big-meets-DC wish fulfillment concept of the picture.

DC Comics, Movies

New Trailer for ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Unleashes the Hunters of Atlas

January 26, 2023January 26, 2023 Mike Manalo

The Shazam-ily is back folks! A new trailer for Shazam: Fury of the Gods has just dropped, and it’s already made more money than Black Adam. Just kidding.

DC Comics, Movies

Check Out the New Poster for ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’

November 7, 2022November 7, 2022 Mike Manalo

We are going to have to wait a bit longer to witness the fury of the gods, as Shazam: Fury of the Gods, the sequel to 2019’s delightful Shazam! is due to hit theaters March 17. Originally the highly anticipated follow up was supposed to go toe-to-toe with Avatar: The Way of Water this Christmas, but was pushed in the wake of the WB/Discovery merger and the updated plans for the DC film slate. But never fear, just because we aren’t getting more of the Shazam family this year, doesn’t mean we aren’t getting some fun stuff. Today, WB/DC just debuted a new poster for the film.

Animation, DC Comics

‘Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons’ is a Nostalgic Tribute

October 9, 2022October 9, 2022 Adonis Gonzalez

Richard Donner’s Superman is perhaps the most admired and cherished live-action version of the character. Donner established his spot in the “Man of Steel” hall of fame by building upon the hero’s most famous attributes. His bulletproof skin and wondrous flight were there, along with his diehard sense of truth, justice, and the American way.

Animation, Movies

‘Ron’s Gone Wrong’ Trailer Shows an Unlikely Friendship with Technology

September 9, 2021September 15, 2021 Laura Sirikul

The trailer to Disney and 20th Century Studios’ Ron’s Gone Wrong has finally been released today. The film, which centers on the friendship between the titular rogue robot (Zach Galifanakis) and socially awkward junior-high student Barney (Jack Dylan Graze), marks the first animated feature from Locksmith Animation in association with Disney and 20th Century Studios.

DC Comics, Movies

Marvel at the ‘Shazam’ Family in This Sneak Peek

June 21, 2021June 21, 2021 Mike Manalo

Today Shazam: Fury of the Gods director, David F. Sandberg took to social media to drop our first official look at the Shazam family in their new suits, and gotta say… they look AMAZING!

Animation

NOC Cooking School: Pixar Pasta with Mike

June 19, 2021June 19, 2021 Mike Manalo

With the release of Pixar’s Luca, now streaming on Disney+, we thought everyone out there may be craving a bit of pasta! So, thanks to the good folks at Pixar, who sent us a lovely care package with all the fixings of a wonderful pesto dinner, we decided to try out our first ever NOC Cooking School to attempt to cook some authentic Pixar pasta!

Animation, Interview, Movies

Jumping In With the Cast and Creators of Pixar’s ‘Luca’

June 18, 2021June 18, 2021 Mike Manalo

One of the most wonderful things about working with The Nerds of Color is that I find myself constantly in the most fortunate position of getting to meet some of the best, most talented individuals working today. And when you think about talent in Hollywood, few brands come to mind greater than Pixar Animation Studios. In celebration of the release of its newest masterpiece, Luca, which hits Disney+ today, I was fortunate enough to meet with the director and producer of the film, Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren, as well as legendary comedian, Jim Gaffigan (who voices Lorenzo in the film), and two of the most talented young actors working in the industry today: Jack Dylan Grazer, who plays Alberto, and Jacob Tremblay, who plays the titular character, Luca Paguro.

Animation, Movies, Reviews1 Comment

NOC Review: Pixar’s ‘Luca’ is Molto Bello

June 16, 2021June 17, 2021 Mike Manalo

I’ve done several Pixar reviews for this site already, dating back to Toy Story 4 through to Soul. And every single one I cover tends to start with the usual: something something unique, something something they set the standard, etc. By now you know the drill. They’re still considered the best in the business. And while several other animation studios are worthy of the mantle (particularly Laika, Walt Disney Feature Animation, and Sony Pictures Animation are coming for it), at this juncture, Pixar’s only greatest competition is Pixar.

Animation, Movies, Streaming

Endless ‘Pasta’bilities at the ‘Luca’ Press Conference

June 11, 2021November 3, 2021 Mike Manalo

The countdown is on! In approximately one week, Luca, Pixar’s latest masterpiece, will be hitting Disney+ on June 18. The film, helmed by first-time feature director, Enrico Casarosa, the film tells the coming of age tale of two sea monsters who spend an unforgettable summer in the one place they’re not supposed to be; the monster-hunting Italian village of Portorosso.

DC Comics, Movies1 Comment

A Super Short Sneak Peek at ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’

June 3, 2021June 4, 2021 Mike Manalo

Today, director David F. Sandberg took to Twitter and YouTube to drop a fun little 17-second clip of our favorite kid-by-day, hero-by-night crusader, ~~Captain Sparklefingers~~ Shazam!

The super short sneak peek has Zachary Levi returning to form (literally) in the red suit and gold boots… only we can’t see any of it because it’s so dark! “Why’s it so dark?” he quips.

Billy, we’ve been asking ourselves that about the DCEU for years!

Animation, Movies

Sun’s Out, Fun’s Out with These Adorable New ‘Luca’ Character Posters

June 3, 2021June 3, 2021 Mike Manalo

We’re counting down to the summer release of Pixar’s latest sure-to-be masterpiece, Luca! And to help celebrate the release of the film, Disney and Pixar have released these adorable new posters featuring Luca, Alberto, and Giulia!

Animation, Interview, Movies, Streaming1 Comment

Summertime Splash: A Q&A with the Filmmakers of Pixar’s ‘Luca’

May 25, 2021May 25, 2021 Mike Manalo

Over the past few weeks, we’ve had the opportunity to give our readers a sneak peak at Pixar’s latest film, Luca, and the hard work the geniuses at Pixar have put into crafting this bright and sunny coming-of-age story. You can check out those full articles here and here. In addition to getting a fantastic behind the scenes look at the film, we were also treated to a press-wide virtual Q&A with director Enrico Casarosa and producer Andrea Warren. Here’s what they had to say to various questions from the press about the latest Pixar classic-in-the-making:

Animation, Interview, Movies, Streaming1 Comment

Diving Further into the Depths of Pixar’s ‘Luca’

May 25, 2021June 11, 2021 Mike Manalo

Earlier this year, The Nerds of Color was invited to see an extended preview and behind the scenes look at Pixar’s latest film, Luca. The film tells the tale of a young sea monster named Luca, who ventures out to an Italian seaside town with his best friend, Alberto, to experience life, danger, food, and fun during the best summer ever.

Animation, Movies

New Friendly Featurette for Pixar’s ‘Luca’

May 21, 2021June 11, 2021 Mike Manalo

Yesterday during the National Streaming Day event, Disney dropped a sweet little featurette for their big Disney+ Summer Release, Pixar’s Luca.

As we’ve learned from our recent press conference, Luca is ultimately a story about friendship, and finding a best friend who will challenge you and push you out of your comfort zone. So it seems very appropriate for them to focus this featurette on friendship. Take a look here:

Animation, Movies, Streaming

New Trailer and Poster for Pixar’s ‘Luca’ Brings the Summer Fun to You

April 28, 2021June 19, 2021 Mike Manalo

It’s a Luca-palooza here at The Nerds of Color, as we also provided an in-depth look at the making of the film this morning. But in addition to that, Disney and Pixar have also released the trailer and poster for the film this morning, which you can view here:

Animation, Movies, Streaming1 Comment

Una Bellisima Anteprima di ‘Luca’ della Pixar

April 28, 2021June 11, 2021 Mike Manalo

Okay, I’m getting a bit pretentious with the faux Italian title (translated it means “A Beautiful Preview of Pixar’s Luca“). But English words just don’t do the beauty of Pixar’s animation proper justice; particularly for their upcoming film Luca, set to debut on Disney+ this summer! Luca tells an adorable story about two close friends from Italy who set out on an adventure to make a life of their own in a superstitious seaside town along the Italian Riviera. The twist? They’re both actually sea monsters from underneath the coastal shore.

Conventions, DC Comics1 Comment

DC FanDome: ‘Shazam 2’ Has a Title

August 22, 2020August 25, 2020 Mike Manalo

Hands down, my favorite movie in the DCEU, and probably the biggest surprise of 2019, was Shazam! Directed by David F. Sandberg, and starring the brilliant Zachary Levi and Asher Angel, along with the charismatic Jack Dylan Grazer, the film really brought a wonderfully charming superhero-spin on Big, while remaining completely faithful to the New 52 run of the characters. It was funny, different, and most of all, unexpectedly full of heart. Today at the DC FanDome, the cast was reunited once more to ~~talk about~~ not talk about insights for the upcoming sequel!

Continue reading “DC FanDome: ‘Shazam 2’ Has a Title”

DC Comics, Movies

‘Shazam!’ Director David F. Sandberg and Producer Peter Safran Say the Magic Words

February 11, 2019April 11, 2019 Mike Manalo

The wisdom of Solomon! The strength of Hercules! The stamina of Atlas! The power of Zeus! The courage of Achilles! And the speed and flight of Mercury! Those are all the powers that are imbued upon mere mortal 14-year old Billy Batson to become The World’s Mightiest Mortal, SHAZAM! (Note for all you noobs who have no idea what I’m talking about — I said SHA-ZAM, not to be confused with KA-ZAAM, the genie who plays basketball better than he acts, raps, or plays Shaq-Fu.)

Continue reading “‘Shazam!’ Director David F. Sandberg and Producer Peter Safran Say the Magic Words”