The title is a crucial advertising board for any movie. Before any teaser, trailer, or star name, it’s the title that acts as a bridge between the filmmaker and his audience.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is based on the novel American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and yet he went with the one-word title Oppenheimer to emphasize that his tale is solely around the theoretical physicist and his psyche.
Similarly, Greta Gerwig’s decision to just go with Barbie as the title for the Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling starrer stressed that her female-centric movie revolves around Barbie, and Gosling’s Ken is just a sidekick. However, for some reason Lucy Liu’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods didn’t follow this pattern, much to some feminists’ frustration.
Why Shazam! Fury of the Gods Star Lucy Liu Wanted a Different Title for the DCU Movie
Shazam! Fury of the Gods zoomed in on the Shazamily in the second installment of Shazam!, with Billy Batson and his siblings finding themselves facing the Daughters of Atlas. The title Fury of the Gods comes from the daughters’ bid to take revenge for the death of their father. They accordingly kidnap Freddy and imprison him with the Wizard in the Gods’ Realm.
Considering how important these villains are in the narrative, it made sense to add the reference in the title. Moreover, both Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Hespera (Helen Mirren) are original characters created for the film and one can’t find them on the pages of the DC comics. The movie’s director David F. Sandberg and others went outside of the comics to create the characters, further underlining their importance.
However, what puzzled fans, and even the actresses who played the Daughters of Atlas, was the use of God instead of Goddesses. During an interview with the New York Times, the reporter discussed the idea of Hespera and Kalypso being introduced as gods rather than goddesses, and Liu was quick to respond:
“We’ve been talking about this, trust me. It’s “Fury of the Gods,” and I was like, “Shouldn’t it be goddesses?” We thought, “We’re already in that realm, as long as it’s not human, we’re fine.”
After the release, the title of the Zachary Levi starrer turned out to be the least of Sandberg’s worries, as the movie’s puzzling plot irked critics and fans. It bombed massively at the box office, managing to recoup just $133.8 million in worldwide collection.
What the Future Holds for Lucy Liu’s Charlie’s Angels?
The frustrating performance of Shazam! Fury of the Gods suggests we aren’t going to see Lucy Liu’s specially created character Kalypso getting any mention in James Gunn’s DC Universe.
However, Liu’s other character, Alex Munday of Charlie’s Angels is still talked about among the loyal fans of the 2000 action comedy. There’s certainly plenty of appetite for a sequel featuring the three original cast members: Liu, Drew Barrymore, and Cameron Diaz.
Interestingly the director of the movie, McG AKA Joseph McGinty Nichol has suggested he’s open to directing another Charlie’s Angels movie.
Having said that, the producers should make sure they bring the trio together if they ever plan to make another movie because Charlie’s Angels reboot with a completely different cast underwhelmed in 2019.
Source: New York Times
