Shazam! star Zachary Levi will have a starring role in Sony Pictures' live-action film adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Based on the book of the same name by Crockett Johnson, Harold and the Purple Crayon will follow the adventures of a young boy named Harold who uses a magic purple crayon to create worlds. David Guion and Michael Handelman (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) will write the screenplay for Harold and the Purple Crayon, while John Davis will produce through his Davis Entertainment production company. Davis' credits include Dolemite Is My Name and the upcoming Jungle Cruise for Disney, while Guion and Handelman also wrote the Netflix family film Slumberland, which stars Jason Momoa.
A film version of Harold and the Purple Crayon has been languishing in development for years, with multiple production companies, including Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and Will Smith's Overbrook, attempting to develop the film. The book was adapted into an animated series in 2002.
Levi is set to reprise his role as the titular superhero in Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, which is slated to begin filming in the spring. The film will see the return of director David F. Sandberg, alongside other cast members including Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman. No plot details have been revealed about the film.
Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam!: Fury of the Gods stars Zachary Levi as Shazam, Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Asher Angel as Billy Batson and Marta Milans as Mama Rosa. The film is tentatively set to arrive in theaters on Nov. 4, 2022.
Source: THR