Superhero movies strike the strangest discussions online, as the release of Shazam: Fury of the Gods sparks a mind-bending debate regarding a movie from the 90s that never seemed to exist – which included performer Sinbad as a genie. We also explain how it connects to the Shaquille O’Neil film, Kazaam.
Despite a strong rating for the first Shazam movie, Fury of the Gods is somewhat underperforming at the box office within its first week in theatres.
Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a direct sequel to the 2019 predecessor, introducing the DC Comics character of the same name, following Billy Baston and his siblings’ fight against the Daughters of Atlas, starring Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, and more.
- MORE SHAZAM: Where to watch Shazam! on a streaming platform before Fury of the Gods – Is it on HBO Max or Netflix?
Fury of the Gods sparks Mandela effect debate around mystery 90s movie Shazaam
With the release of Fury of the Gods this past Friday, the DC series title, Shazam, has brought attention back to an odd movie debate.
Movie buffs collectively remember a 90s movie sharing Shazam’s title, except it was spelled “Shazaam” and starred comedian David Adkins – better known by his stage name Sinbad – as a genie. The only problem? There is no evidence that this movie ever existed.
The enigma has been filed under one of many Mandela effects in the world – a phenomenon explaining “false collective memory” where a large group of people believes in an event or detail that never happened.
Did Sinbad play a genie in Shazaam?
No, the comedian Adkins has never appeared as a genie, even under his Sinbad alias, nor has a 90s movie called “Shazaam” ever existed.
Cinephiles may be getting confused with the 1996 movie titled, Kazaam, starring iconic basketball player, Shaquille O’Neil, because he actually played a genie in the feature.
Despite many people claiming they have seen Kazaam and it’s not the correct movie, it seems likely that this is the answer.
Another theory online users have put forth is the small chance that all traces of the movie were removed from the public eye because of legal reasons – but surely there would be some trace within the pockets of the internet?
By Jo Craig – [email protected]