In December I got a tip that the movie “Franklin” ie Shazam! was filming a few scenes on the Art Museum Steps, conveniently across the street from where I live, so I popped over a few times.

As I wrote in PhillyChitChat in December, Shazam is set in Philly, but filmed in Toronto (isn’t that ironic for us). Billy Batson, a troubled 14-year-old orphan living in Philadelphia, is set up to move into a new foster home – his seventh in a row – with the Vazquez family and their other five foster kids. One day, Billy gets on a subway car and finds himself transported to a different realm, where an ancient wizard gives him the power to transform into a godlike adult superhero by uttering the word “Shazam!” Billy and his new foster brother Freddy Freeman must learn what Billy’s new powers are and how to use them in order to stop the villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana from wielding powers of his own.^[6][7]

When I took these photos I wasn’t sure what I was shooting, but now I understand, spoiler alert, but not story alert, it was two different scenes, used at different times in the movie. One was shot during the day, the other at night.

This is the scene which was filmed on the Art Museum Steps that day. Note the scene is flipped as the cars are going in the opposite direction and the City is on the left side of the steps. You can match up the girls on the right in the red coat and the tan hat, with where they’re standing in the photo above.

The second scene was with the main actors Shazam Zachary Levi and Freddy Jack Dylan Grazer . looking at the skyline. The cast and crew literally waited until the clouds parted to get the shot they needed, and unfortunately it was after midnight when some of the skyline was dark. I’m sure they were frustrated cause the forecast stressed that the rain, and clouds would part by 5PM, but you know Mother Nature has the last word.