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 take the helm of another IP film or franchise again—and honestly, neither did he. However, with his new film Until Dawn set to hit theaters, he's reflecting on the intense backlash from his previous DC Cinematic Universe projects and what ultimately 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 adaptation of the beloved horror game. "Trying to condense 10 hours into two, or something like that. But it is still scary, even though we're doing something new." He emphasized that, even with this game-to-film project, IP fans are incredibly particular about how their favorite stories are translated to 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 admitted, reflecting on his DCU experience and its aftermath.

Yet, 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 explore 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 shared. "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 it's impossible to please every fan when adapting an IP property, but his approach appears to be 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,'" the Shazam director explained. "You wouldn't be able to better the game, so you'd just be in a losing situation."

Until Dawn, penned by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman, who is best known for writing It: Chapter Two, stars Ella Rubin. The film is slated to premiere in theaters on April 25, 2025.