Shazam Director Returns for Until Dawn After IP Movie Backlash

You might have thought that David F. Sandberg, the director behind Shazam! and Shazam: Fury of the Gods, would steer clear of IP films after the tumultuous reception of his DC Cinematic Universe entries. Yet, here he is, diving back into the fray with his upcoming film Until Dawn. In a candid conversation with GamesRadar+, Sandberg shared his thoughts on the intense backlash he faced and what drew him back to the world of IP adaptations.

"What I loved about the script [is] that it wasn't trying to recreate the game," Sandberg remarked about the horror game-turned-film. "Trying to condense 10 hours into two, or something like that. But it is scary still, even though we're doing a new thing." He acknowledged the unique challenges of adapting a beloved game, noting that fans are particularly protective of how their favorite stories are brought to the screen.

Reflecting on the backlash from his DCU films, Sandberg admitted, "I mean, to be honest, fans can get very, very crazy and very angry with you. You can get, like, death threats and everything so after Shazam 2, I was like, 'I never wanna do another IP-based movie because it's just not worth it.'" Despite this, the script for Until Dawn piqued his interest. "But then I was sent this script, and I was like, 'Ah, this would be so much fun to do, to do all these kinds of horrors? I kind of have to do it, and hope that the people see what we're trying to do and like it,'" he said. Sandberg praised the writers' innovative approach, stating, "I really thought it was brilliant of the writers to come up with this time loop idea where the night starts over because then you do kind of get that feel of the game, when you're replaying it and making different choices. I think it's very much in the spirit of the game."

Understanding the impossibility of satisfying every fan when adapting an IP, Sandberg believes his approach is the best way to win over Until Dawn enthusiasts. "I think we would've gotten a lot of critique if we had tried to [recreate the game], because people would've been like, 'It's not as good. It's not the same actors, because, you know, they're older now,'" he explained. "You wouldn't be able to better the game, so you'd just be in a losing situation."

Until Dawn was penned by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman, the latter known for his work on It: Chapter Two, and stars Ella Rubin. The film is slated to hit theaters on April 25, 2025.