'Shazam!' release date news: Director confirms April 2019 premiere

Director David F. Sandberg poses at the LA Film Festival gala screening of "Annabelle: Creation" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Director David F. Sandberg has confirmed that DC film "Shazam!" will be released in April 2019.

In a recent Reddit discussion about his latest movie "Annabelle 2: Creation," a fan asked about the possible release date for "Shazam!" to which he answered, "April 2019. It takes a long time to make VFX heavy movies."

Until a few months ago, there was still a lot of doubt whether the DC film would materialize at all, and so, a confirmed date from the director himself is a very welcome announcement.

Sandberg is known to be very active on social media, frequently updating fans of the DC Extended Universe about his superhero film. In early October, he posted a low-resolution video clip showing Shazam flying towards the camera. It was captioned "Day 27: You'll believe a man can fly."

Day 27: You'll believe a man can fly.

A post shared by David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher) on

Fans, however, were quick to notice that it was a reverse video. In reality, the plastic figure was falling. Still, it was an update appreciated by his followers.

His playful posts give fans a clue of the tonality that the movie will take. In an interview with Toronto Sun last August, Sandberg said, "I think this will be one of the more fun or lighthearted movies so far in the DC universe. It certainly will be a departure."

While the film's pre-production is well underway, there is no word yet on who will play the two main characters — 12-year-old Billy Batson and his alter ego Shazam — but audition tapes shown to Screenrant support the humorous tone that Sandberg is aiming for.

With a year and a half left before "Shazam!" hits theaters, DC fans need not worry as they have a couple of movies to keep them entertained.

"Justice League," starring Ben Affleck (Batman), Henry Cavill (Superman) and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), is coming to cinemas on Nov. 17. It will be followed by "Aquaman," starring Jason Momoa in the titular role, in December 2018.

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