Warner Bros. has moved back its live-action “Sesame Street” movie six months to Jan 15, 2022, and set an April 1, 2022, release date for its “Shazam! 2” sequel.
“Portlandia” director and co-creator Jonathan Krisel will helm the “Sesame Street” musical, co-financed by Warner Bros. and MGM. Shawn Levy is producing with Michael Aguilar. Mike Rosolio and Chris Galletta have written drafts for the pic. Sesame Workshop, which holds the rights to the show and is involved in the development of the movie.
The educational series premiered in 1969 with a combination of live-action, puppetry, and animation. “Sesame Street” is home to the Jim Henson creations Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, and Elmo. The TV series is produced by Sesame Workshop, known as the Children’s Television Workshop until 2000, and was created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett.
“Shazam!” was a DC Comics adventure centering on Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a teenager who can transform into a cheerful superhero (Zachary Levi) when someone says the magic word. David F. Sandberg directed “Shazam!,” which received strong critical support, earning a 90% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes as reviewers praised its departure from the self-importance of the genre.
“Shazam!” represented a somewhat lower-cost gamble for DC Entertainment following “Wonder Woman” and “Aquaman.” Warner Bros. spent $80 million to produce “Shazam!” and box office results were solid with more than $360 million worldwide following its release in April.
Both “Shazam!” and “Shazam! 2” are produced through the studio’s New Line division.
