Shazam Director Returns for Until Dawn After IP Movie Backlash

You probably never thought you'd see Shazam! and Shazam: Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg helm another IP film or franchise ever again — and honestly, he didn’t either. But with his new film Until Dawn set to hit theaters, Sandberg is reflecting on the intense backlash he faced from his previous DC Cinematic Universe projects and what drew him back to the world of IP.

"What I loved about the script [is] that it wasn't trying to recreate the game," Sandberg told GamesRadar+ about the beloved 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 also noted that, even when working on a game property, IP fans have strong expectations about how their favorite stories should be adapted for the screen.

"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,'" the filmmaker added, reflecting on his experience with the DCU and its aftermath.

However, the potential of the story in Until Dawn intrigued him. "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,'" Sandberg said. "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."

Sandberg is keenly aware that you can’t please every fan when adapting an IP, but his approach seems tailored to capture the hearts of 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,'" the Shazam director explained. "You wouldn't be able to better the game, so you'd just be in a losing situation."

Until Dawn, written by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman, who is notably known for his work on It: Chapter Two, stars Ella Rubin. The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on April 25, 2025.