Page 14 - aruba-today-20221018

A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 18 OcTOber 2022
Can the Rock steady the DC universe with ‘Black Adam’?

By JAKE COYLE ing to do a superhero, the
AP Film Writer powers better be A-plus,”
NEW YORK (AP) — In Hol- said producer Beau Flynn.
lywood’s superhero era Superhero films aren’t of-
thus far, there has been ten described as a “pas-
one particularly conspicu- sion project” but it’s how
ous absence: While a pa- Johnson talks about “Black
rade of big-name actors Adam.” He speaks about
have taken their turns don- the character’s previously
ning various spandex suits, low profile like an under-
Dwayne Johnson arguably dog.
the biggest movie star in “No one gave him a shot,”
the world has, until now, he said. Unlike many of the
sat out the trend. best-known comic-book
The Rock didn’t really need characters, Johnson is not
a cape to prove his powers. taking on this role second-
The 6-foot-5 260-pound ac- hand.
tor was, in many respects, “No other actors had
already a superhero in his stepped into the boots of
own right: a skyscraper- Black Adam,” said Johnson
climbing hulk, a shape- who professes a deep con-
shifting demi-god, even a nection with the character.
bulked-up tooth fairy. “I’m a very direct talker.
“I was always ready and Black Adam is very direct
open to playing a superhe- with his thoughts, too. The
ro,” Johnson said in a recent difference is: Black Adam
interview. “But it had to be will slap some people
right and it had to feel right. Pierce Brosnan, left, Noah Centineo, Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge and Quintessa Swindell attend around. I might slap some
I had been approached the world premiere of “Black Adam” in Times Square on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, in New York. people around but I’ll do it
before in the past about Associated Press with a smile.”
playing a few superheroes As of this summer, Michael
that, ultimately, I ended up tainly doesn’t hurt to be In one telling scene, Black received body-swap hit, De Luca and Pam Abdy
passing on. They ended up welcoming in a movie star Adam stops for a moment grossing $366 million world- are running Warner Bros.’
going to the right actors to as popular as Johnson, who to watch a television with wide in 2019 (a sequel is revamped film division,
play them. I just waited.” has 341 million followers Clint Eastwood as the Man due out in March). The am- though no new DC leader
The fates have finally on Instagram and is often With No Name an antihero bitions for “Black Adam” has yet been appointed.
aligned in “Black Adam,” forced to deflect questions model for Black Adam. are larger. Zaslav has been seeking his
a debut so seamless that about a possible presiden- “He has been my inspira- The film, made with a bud- studio’s answer to Marvel’s
it could be called redun- tial run. But just how much tion from day one. My fa- get roughly twice that of Kevin Feige to take the
dant. When Johnson was stability can The Rock bring vorite actor and certainly “Shazam!” also introduces reigns. For Johnson, “Black
first trying on Black Adam’s to DC? one of my favorite direc- the Justice Society of Amer- Adam” is part of that new
suit, he had the muscle “I think the timing is actually tors,” Johnson said. “I’m ica, a superhero team of chapter for DC.
padding removed. perfect. What an oppor- happy to call Clint a bud- Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), “I think you’re feeling this
Johnson’s entry to the su- tunity we have,” Johnson dy. That was my way of Doctor Fate (Pierce Bros- sense of urgency and the
perhero business comes said. “I have been saying paying homage to him.” nan), Atom Smasher (Noah sense of excitement,” said
at a crucial juncture for for almost years now that How Black Adam would Centineo) and Cyclone Johnson. “This has been
the DC Extended Universe, the hierarchy of power in be introduced to movie (Quintessa Swindell). a great convergence of
which has been plagued the DC universe is about to audiences wasn’t always “I always felt like it was a ‘Black Adam’ coming out
of late by scandal and mis- change.” clear. Initially, Captain Mar- matter of convincing our and new leadership.”
fires. Ezra Miller, star of the Before Johnson, not many vel, also known as Shazam, studio partners to try to Tracking reports have sug-
upcoming “The Flash,” has saw Black Adam as such and Black Adam were to look beyond the Justice gested that Johnson, 50,
been arrested twice this an axis-tilting force. The debut in a movie together. League,” Johnson said. “I could be headed for his
year amid reports of trou- character, an ancient After the scripting stage, love the Justice League. biggest opening weekend
bling behavior (in August, Egyptian created by Otto Johnson and others felt the But when you look past ever at the box office with
Miller sought treatment for Binder and C.C. Beck, first combined launch did a dis- them, you open up the DC “Black Adam.” But sound-
what he described as men- appeared in a 1945 issue service to Black Adam. bible. ing a little like his WWE wres-
tal health issues ). “Batgirl,” of Fawcett Comics’ “In DC “We did have a template There are so many cool tler, Johnson is also eyeing
a $90 million movie com- Comics” and has generally for a really good idea, but characters you can tap his next opponent. Black
pleted for HBO Max, was been portrayed as a super- ultimately both characters into.” Adam, he believes, is a less-
summarily axed, prompting villain and foe to Captain required so much space to It’s been a long haul to de- er power to no superhero.
an outcry over its atypical Marvel (not the Brie Larson properly launch them,” said velop the film, tailor the part He’s gunning for Superman.
cancellation. one). producer Hiram Garcia. to Johnson and shoot the “For five years, the most
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO More recent treatments “We were just struggling in movie around COVID-19 powerful and unstoppable
David Zaslav has promised have pushed Black Adam terms of bandwidth that delays. Johnson was first force in the entire superhe-
a “reset” to the studio’s DC more toward antihero sta- the script could hold and in announced to play Black ro universe has been idle on
operations in an overhaul tus, something the film, di- terms of tone, as well. Inher- Adam way back in 2014. the sidelines. All that had to
to implement a more Mar- rected by Jaume Collet- ently, as you saw with how “Easy and this process come to a new end,” says
vel-like 10-year structure Serra (“Jungle Cruise”), the ‘Shazam’ movie came have not gone together,” Johnson.
and improve quality. At the extends. Black Adam, sum- out, that movie is just so dif- Garcia said. “This is what I mean with this
fulcrum of these two eras moned to modern day, is ferently tonally from how But the filmmakers were new era in the DC universe.
sits “Black Adam,” which depicted as a reluctant ‘Black Adam’ is.” committed to giving Black Let’s get that hero off the
opens in theaters Thursday. hero who fears his own “Shazam!” starring Zach- Adam the proper launch. sidelines and on the big
Amid such turmoil, it cer- powers. ary Levi, was a goofy, well- “If Dwayne Johnson’s go- screen.”q