Shazam! Fury Of The Gods gets a release date in China

Chinese fans may not have to wait long before Shazam 2 releases in theaters. The Hollywood Reporter revealed the sequel will release on March 17 in China coinciding with the movie's premiere in North America. The report hints at an official announcement from Chinese regulators is expected soon.

Being released in China will give Shazam! Fury of the Gods a huge shot in the arm. Avatar: The Way of Water also secured a release in China, and ticket sales in the country accounted for more than 10% of the movie's total box office performance. Avatar 2 has reportedly earned $243 million in ticket sales from Chinese theaters.

Fury of the Gods needs to earn $393 million at the box office to beat Black Adam, which shouldn't be too hard. The first Shazam! movie earned $43.8 million in China for a total of $366 million globally against a modest budget of $100 million.

The Dwayne Johnson-led anti-hero film failed to secure a theatrical release in the Chinese market. Rumors suggest that the film was banned in China after GQ published an interview with Pierce Brosnan. The actor reportedly mentioned his support for the Dalai Lama in the interview.

Even if Shazam! Fury of the Gods becomes extremely profitable, the future of the Zachary Levi-led franchise is still unclear in the new DC Universe. James Gunn and Peter Safran recently revealed Chapter 1 – Gods and Monsters which effectively reboots the entire DC slate.

Gunn mentioned that Shazam exists in a remote part of the DC Universe independent of other DC movies. The comment may hint that the superhero is not part of the bigger and interconnected DC Universe that DC Studios plans to develop.