Does the Sinbad Movie "Shazam" Exist? The Mandela Effect, Explained

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The mysterious case of the missing "Shazam!" starring Sinbad

Co-authored by Rebecca Tenzer, MAT, MA, LCSW, CCTP, CGCS, CCATP, CCFP and Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: July 31, 2025 Fact Checked

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Does the film “Shazaam” exist?

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Possible Explanations

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What is the Mandela effect?

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Other Examples of the Mandela Effect

If you were alive in the 1990s, you may have a vague recollection of the comedian Sinbad starring as a genie in a movie titled Shazaam. If so, you're part of a collective group of people who also remember the movie. The movie Shazaam doesn't exist, though! If it doesn't exist, why do so many people remember it? Stay tuned for a comprehensive look at Shazaam and the Mandela Effect. We also spoke to communication therapist Rebecca Tenzer, MAT, MA, LCSW, CCTP, CGCS, CCATP, CCFP, for more insight into this phenomenon.

Shazaam and the Mandela Effect Explained

Many people claim to remember watching a movie titled Shazaam in the 1990s, starring Sinbad as a genie. However, this movie was never made. The collective memory of it may be due to the Mandela Effect, a phenomenon in which a group of people misremember an event and may even fabricate details to fill in the gaps.

Section 1 of 4:

Does the film “Shazaam” exist?

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No, Shazaam has never been made into a full feature film. Despite many people claiming to remember a 1990s film titled Shazaam starring Sinbad the comedian as a genie, there is no trace of the movie anywhere, leading audiences to believe that this is an example of the Mandela effect.
- Sinbad himself has dispelled the rumors that Shazaam ever existed, tweeting about it in 2016. He wrote, "Okay for all you people who think I did a genie movie.. well haven’t done one YET, but I am going to do one so we can close this chapter."^{[1]
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Rebecca Tenzer, MAT, MA, LCSW, CCTP, CGCS, CCATP, CCFP is a Communication Therapist with over 18 years of clinical and educational experience in the field of mental health.
One explanation revolves around a very similar movie titled, Kazaam, released in 1996. It starred Shaquille O’Neal as a genie who granted the child protagonist wishes, leading to potentially blurred lines in the public’s memory.^{[2]
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Section 2 of 4:

Possible Reasons Why People Remember Shazaam

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The Mandela effect is the leading explanation. The Mandela effect, or a phenomenon that causes false memories, may be at the center of this modern mystery. The Mandela effect is when a group of people all share the same false memory. False memories are incorrect recollections of an event. In some extreme cases, like with Shazaam, the event in question never actually happened and is completely fabricated in people's memories.^{[3]
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- Distorted and/or fabricated memories like these are scientifically referred to as confabulations.^{[4]
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- According to Tenzer, “The Mandela effect occurs when groups of people confidently remember something that either never happened or they’re remembering it incorrectly. These false memories happen because memory is not a recording; it’s a reconstruction. We remember things based on what we think we saw, what we expect to see, and what society tells us we saw. The amount of time that has passed since the memory took place can also impact what we remember and how accurately.”^{[5]
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Conclusively, Sinbad never played a genie on-screen, but he did wear a costume that might resemble that of a genie’s while hosting a Sinbad the Sailor TV marathon in 1994.^{[6]
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Sinbad participated in a skit designed to poke fun at the possibility. In 2017, Sinbad took part in a skit for an April Fool’s joke produced by College Humor. In the skit, Sinbad plays a genie alongside two children who find his lamp among their late mother’s belongings. It was only four minutes long, and edited to resemble the grainy VHS tapes of the 1990s. Although only meant to be a joke, the video gave a second life to the rumor that a Shazaam movie really existed.^{[7]
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- Confusion surrounding these similar but separate events is thought to be one of the primary reasons behind the shared false memory of Shazaam.

Section 3 of 4:

What is the Mandela effect?

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The Mandela effect is a phenomenon where multiple people share the same false memory. Proposed by paranormal researcher, Fiona Broome, in 2009, the theory seeks to explain false memories, which can lead large groups of people to misremember details or even entire events. This idea was born when Broome (along with others) realized she had clear memories of Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1990s, along with specific details. In reality, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, went on to be the first president of South Africa in the 1990s, and died in 2013.^{[8]
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- After doing some more digging, Broome was shocked to learn that many other people had similar memories of Mandela dying in prison.
- There are many incidents of the Mandela effect, including whether the Monopoly Man wears a monocle or not, and if the Fruit of the Loom logo features a cornucopia.
- Tenzer says, “A powerful way to understand this is by imagining five people witnessing the same crime. Even though they all experienced the same event, at roughly the same time and place, each of them is likely to recall it differently. None of them are lying, their brains are simply doing what human brains do: filling in gaps, reshaping memories, and adjusting facts.”^{[9]
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- Tenzer continues, “Over time, repeated exposure to incorrect information through media, conversations, or cultural references can cement that false memory until it feels absolutely real.”^{[10]
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Psychology may offer an explanation for the Mandela effect. Some experts believe that certain images may be misremembered if the fabricated details meet the preconceived expectations of the image–even if they’re wrong. For example, it would make sense for the Monopoly Man to wear a monocle since that would fit the status and style of his character. Yet, he doesn’t, leading to this case of false memory and cognitive dissonance.^{[11]
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- Scientists can’t offer a general explanation for the Mandela effect, suggesting the phenomenon may only be explained on a case-by-case basis, with each image triggering new patterns.
- Personal and emotional biases, along with other psychological factors, like suggestibility, may contribute to the Mandela effect.
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Alternate explanations include parallel realities and the influence of the internet. Although not yet supported by science, some people believe parallel realities or alternate universes are behind the Mandela effect– including Broome.
- Parallel realities. String theorists suggest that the universe is made up of strings that vibrate across dimensions we can’t see, exchanging information between them.
  - The idea of multiple realities can be used to explain the Mandela effect, as information may be seeping in across dimensions and infiltrating diverging realities.^{[12]
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- The influence of the internet. With the spread of information comes the spread of misinformation, resulting in entire communities built on flimsy, fictional foundations.
  - A study released by MIT in 2017 concluded that misinformation was 70% more likely to be retweeted and spread versus true information.^{[13]
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Section 4 of 4:

Other Famous Examples of the Mandela Effect

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There are plenty of documented cases of the Mandela effect. If you feel pretty certain of a pop culture event that happened but have no concrete proof– chances are, you’re not alone. New reports of the Mandela effect are constantly popping up, and there’s even an entire Reddit thread where one can plead their Mandela effect case. Here are some of the most well-known instances of the Mandela effect.^{[14]
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- “Berenstein Bears.” Most people think that the spelling of this popular children’s book is “Berenstein Bears” with an “E,” when it’s really “Berenstain Bears” with an “A.”
- “Luke, I am your father.” This could be mind-blowing to some, but Darth Vader never actually said this. What he really said was, “No, I am your father,” in response to a question.
- “Mirror, mirror on the wall.” This famous fairytale quote is not actually what the evil stepmother says as she admires herself. Instead, she says, “Magic mirror on the wall.”
- “Meet the Flinstones!” You’ve probably heard of Barney and Wilma, but you may not know that you’ve been writing their names wrong all along. It’s “Flintstones”– not “Flinstones!”