Spring keeps edging closer, and Hollywood news is beginning to blossom. Time for another round-up!
Shazam: Fury of the Gods (see “’Shazam’ Trailer“) opened weaker than expected, with a $30.5 million opening weekend North American box office take, according to Variety. That’s a big drop from the $53.5 million opening of Shazam!, the first movie based on the character, in 2019 (see “’Shazam!’; Streaks“). International take was $35 million, for a global first weekend of $65.5 million.
Warner Bros. Pictures confirmed that James Gunn will direct Superman: Legacy, a movie which was announced earlier this year (see “New Movies and TV Series“). This will be the first title in the Gunn/Safran slate of DC films to be released, and it will hit theaters on July 11, 2025 (see “Best in Shows — 2025“).
Disney has put Lucasfilm’s Willow series on hiatus after S1, according to Deadline. This series was originally categorized as “cancelled,” as the cast was released, but series creator Jon Kasden noted that Season 2 had already been written and made eventually be made. Willow hit streaming back on November 30, 2022 (see “‘Willow’ and ‘Tales of the Jedi’ Trailers“).
HBO Max has added three new actors to the cast of The Penguin, according to Variety. The new cast members include Michael Zegan, James Madio, and Scott Cohen. Variety’s sources say Zegen will play the role of Alberto Falcone. Recently, HBO Max cast Clancy Brown as Gotham crime boss Salvatore Maroni (see “Clancy Brown Added to ‘The Penguin’“).
Amazon Studios has picked up the Batman: Caped Crusader animated series, according The Hollywood Reporter. This show, developed by Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams, and Matt Reeves, launched in 2021 (see “Bruce Timm’s New ‘Batman’ Series“), but was shelved in August 2022 by Warner Bros. Animation’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. Amazon revived it by ordering two seasons of the show.
Disney is bringing Jeff “Swampy” Marsh back to work on the revival of Phineas and Ferb, according to Variety. Marsh is one of the masterminds of the original show, and will now be working alongside co-creator Dan Povenmire again on 40 new episodes to be streamed on Disney+ (see “‘Phineas and Ferb’ Revived“).
For more information on geek movie releases, check out ICv2’s Best in Shows Geek Movie Calendar. Currently, our calendars show releases running through 2027.
Source: ICV2
