Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!
Shazam! Director Breaks Down Why It Can Cost Millions to Make a Real Super-Suit
Shazam! is now streaming on Peacock.
Back in 2019, reports began to surface about how Zachary Levi's lightning bolted costume for Shazam! cost upwards of $1 million, and that 10 were made for the DCEU superhero film (now streaming on Peacock).
Taking to Reddit and X (formerly Twitter), director David F. Sandberg (Lights Out) clarified what that means. While he didn't know the exact price for each suit, the filmmaker explained it wasn't a matter of building 10 separate costumes for Levi. Rather, it was a matter of trial and error, creating a number of million-dollar designs to get the look just right.
Why a Blockbuster Super-Hero Suit Can Cost Millions of Dollars
"The thing is that it’s not the price for one suit," Sandberg wrote on Reddit. "In developing a suit like this you basically have to build it several times over to get things right. Like there were many different bolts made. Ones with different bolt shapes, ones with different ways of lighting up, etc. There were different versions of the fabric made in different shades, different patterns, and so on and different version had to be camera tested."
Once the final design is locked in, you still need to sink money into costumes that can withstand labor-intensive stunts as well as "upgrades" if certain things are breaking down or restricting the actor's movements. "It’s not like it’s one million dollars in material, or that making one of these would cost that much. It’s the whole process and making multiple copies and versions," he added.
As you can see, Sandberg elaborated on his Reddit post via X, explaining that a cosplayer doesn't need to spend millions of dollars on a costume because they're already working off of a final design ordained by the studio. Moreover, a cosplayer, at the end of day, is working with just one costume to walk around in, and doesn't need multiple for different uses — like fighting a bunch of bad guys day-in and day-out.
"It’s kind of like with cameras. A cheap camera can get you a pretty professional image but only professional cameras will withstand the abuse and workflow of a movie set," Sandberg concluded.
Shazam! is now streaming on Peacock.
Originally published Jan 18, 2019.
