Comedian Sinbad Played Genie in 1990 Children's Movie Shazaam: Hoax

Story:

Comedian Sinbad Played Genie role in 1990’s popular Children’s movie Shazaam

Analysis:

According to a story shared widely online since few years, David Adkins, the well known Comedian Sinbad played Genie role in 1990’s popular Children’s movie called Shazaam. Although there are some pictures and even videos allegedly showing same, as detailed below, the claims are not facts.

Picture that Comedian Sinbad Played Genie in 1990's Children's Movie Shazaam — Comedian Sinbad Played Genie in 1990’s Children’s Movie Shazaam

Origin of Story: Comedian Sinbad Played Genie

The claim in question seems to have originated back in 2009 from an anonymous question posted on Yahoo! Answers asking “Do you remember that sinbad movie?,” and adding “wasnt there a movie in the early 90s where sinbad the entertainer / comedian played a genie? i know kazaam had shaq in it and thats not the one im thinking about. help its driving me nuts!“. After two years, the question was quoted by a Reddit user in 2011 suggesting a conspiracy against the existence of such a movie and asking users to find a copy/information about the same.

The ‘conspiracy’ theories about the Shazaam movie grew in later years, also claiming finding of a dusty VHS tape while exploring a long-abandoned Blockbuster video store. Like you can see in Image down below, there were also some pictures allegedly showing the posters of Shazaam movie with the comedian Sinbad as the Genie.

Picture of Comedian Sinbad — Comedian Sinbad

Actual Facts

Despite the popularity of the claim since many years, there is no evidence – information, pictures or videos of any such movie called Shazaam in 1990s where the Comedian Sinbad played Genie role. Back in 2009 itself Sinbad replied to a related message on Twitter hinting he did not play a Genie role. Again in 2016 he suggested the same on Twitter. Later that year Sinbad replied he solved the Genie mystery, by recalling that he hosted an afternoon of Sinbad the Sailor movies in 1994 (see picture down below).

The popularity of the story has given rise to many fake/photoshopped posters of the movie. On 1st April Fool’s Day in 2017 YouTube channel CollegeHumor posted a video (prank) saying they found Sinbad’s Shazaam Genie Movie! Sinbad has however clearly suggested he did not play any such Genie role in 1990s (non-existent) movie Shazaam; the messages, pictures and videos claiming so are therefore hoaxes.

Mandela Effect?

Although there was no movie called Shazaam in 1990s, there was however a movie called Kazaam (1996) starring Shaquille O’Neal as Genie. One poster of the movie showed Shaq with his arms folded (last picture in this article). And during the 1990s Sinbad has actually appeared in many popular children’s movies. These collective facts might have created an impression in the people’s minds Sinbad played Genie role at the time. Carrying such collective false memories is described as Mandela Effect. Hundreds of people earlier believed that Nelson Mandela had died in prison in the 1980s, while he died in 2013 after becoming South Africa’s President and winning the Nobel Peace Prize.