Captain Marvel Movie

Warner Brothers Studios has recently gained the rights to produce the DC Comics classic, Captain Marvel film.http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117996268.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 Director Peter Segal, of action, comedy "Get Smart" fame, has signed on to direct the film. The action adventure will reportedly depict the origin of Captain Marvel, the alter ego of teen-ager Billy Batson. The unofficial title of the movie is rumored to be Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam.http://www.cinematical.com/2008/11/21/captain-marvel-and-warner-bros-say-shazam/

The upcoming Captain Marvel movie is a remake of “The Adventures of Captain Marvel”, a 1941 twelve-chapter film serial directed by John English and William Witney for Republic Pictures. The serial was adapted from the popular Captain Marvel comic book characters appearing first in Fawcett Comics publications, then later in DC Comics. It starred Tom Tyler (who also played The Phantom) in the title role of Captain Marvel and Frank Coghlan Jr. as his alter ego, Billy Batson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSsBjQfSFbc The original series tells the story of Billy Batson, who, while on a scientific expedition to Siam, meets a wizard by the name of Shazam. The wizard bestows Batson with the ability to transform himself into the super-powered Captain Marvel. As Captain Marvel, Batson wages a battle against the evil villain, Scorpion. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033317/

Some Captain Marvel enthusiasts may be more familiar with the name "Shazam", the title of a comic book series about Captain Marvel published by DC Comics from 1973 to 1978. Shazam is the code word that conjures up the super powers that Captain Marvel harnesses to fight evil. The SHAZAM acronym represents; Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury, Captain Marvel's Elders.

No word yet on how closely the re-make will follow the original. Cast details have yet to be announced, but Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has expressed interest in playing the character “Black Adam”, the ruler of the nation of Kahndaq and a recipient of the Power of Shazam.

The Original Adventures of Captain Marvel

This twelve part series was originally shown in movie theaters in 1941. Based on the comic books created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, it tells the story of a teen-aged boy and his transformation into superhero, Captain Marvel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSsBjQfSFbc