LONDON (AP) 鈥� For Adam Brody, donning the padded superhero suit in 鈥淪hazam!鈥� and its sequel is a dream come true.
鈥淚 always wanted to play a superhero. I grew up reading comics,鈥� the actor recalled in a recent interview. 鈥淚 wanted to just be in something of that size and scale too, to be on a set that big, to be in outfits that take that long to kind of make and put on."
He described 鈥淪hazam! Fury of the Gods,鈥� out Friday, as 鈥渏ust a real full-scale Cecil B. DeMille-sized movie.鈥�
The film revolves around a group of foster siblings who juggle being teenagers and adult superheroes. Brody plays the adult version of a geeky and awkward character, but the actor reveals he was a 鈥渂each bum鈥� in high school.
鈥淚 was kind of a jock, actually,鈥� smiles Brody. 鈥淚n any way that surfers are jocks.鈥�
During those teenage years, before leaving his hometown in San Diego, California, Brody worked at a Blockbuster video rental store. Add that to his decadeslong long acting career and you could say the 43-year-old is kind of a movie expert.
鈥淚 have opinions, but you know, I鈥檓 not a Tarantino. I don鈥檛 have encyclopedic knowledge of all films,鈥� he鈥檚 quick to specify. though.
In the last few years, his movie knowledge has expanded into child-friendly territory. Brody has two children with his wife, actor Leighton Meester.
鈥淎s many good ones as you think there are, there鈥檚 not enough. So hard to come by,鈥� says Brody about kids鈥� movies, which he says is 鈥渨here values and the lessons really come into play and you want to ideally make sure what they鈥檙e viewing is nutritious.鈥�
While Brody's filmography does not include any children鈥檚 movies at the moment, he says it鈥檚 a category he would like to try.
鈥淚鈥檓 a fan of all genres. There鈥檚 not a genre I wouldn鈥檛 do or want to do, but I look for cleverness in the writing and potentially depth, too and a voice, a strong POV 鈥� point of view," he says.
He further explains he looks for intelligent scripts that put out something positive into the world and don鈥檛 鈥済lorify anything too negative.鈥�
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 all have to be a life lesson," he says. "But the smarter the project is, probably the less it does. You know, I think a lot of the bad stuff that Hollywood puts out is unconscious more than conscious and the deeper someone鈥檚 thinking about their work, probably the more positive or enlightening it can be.鈥�
Last summer, Brody wrapped filming on a reimagining of the famous 1994 thriller 鈥淭he River Wild,鈥� originally starring Meryl Streep and David Strathairn as a couple on a rafting trip gone wrong.
鈥淵ou know, we still got a river involved," he says. "And it鈥檚 similarly a hostage situation on the river and a race to get to Canada but that鈥檚 sort of where the similarities end. It鈥檚 new characters.鈥�
This time around the story is about two siblings, played by Taran Killam and Meester, embarking on a trip with an old friend (Brody), who will soon reveal a dangerous side. The film is due out later this year.
This is not the first time Brody has worked with his wife 鈥� Killam, Meester and Brody played three points of a love triangle in the sitcom 鈥淪ingle Parents鈥� just three years ago 鈥� but the script made him think twice.
鈥淭his one was interesting because we鈥檙e antagonists. And so, I鈥檓 chasing her for a fair amount of the movie, chasing her and worse," Brody says. "And I was worried initially, and it wasn鈥檛 something I was looking to do exactly. We want to work together but we weren鈥檛 like dying to play enemies.鈥�
鈥淚 had a little concern that, like, 鈥榃hat if we take this home with us? What if it feels too bad to look at her in this way?鈥�" he continues. "But your adrenaline鈥檚 up on set, and it worked fine.鈥�
He says it was the 鈥渕ost demanding鈥� project he has ever worked on, as an actor and as a parent.
鈥淭he hardest part in a way, was because Leighton and I were sort of in every scene, normally we鈥檙e not working at the exact same time, so we brought our kids," but he nonetheless characterized it as "a great adventure for the whole family.鈥�
In fact, Brody shares that he wouldn鈥檛 be surprised if his children caught the acting bug as well: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a fun job.鈥�
Martina Rebecca Inchingolo, The Associated Press
