David F. Sandberg, director of Shazam! and its 2023 sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods, revealed he considered stepping away from IP-based filmmaking after enduring intense fan backlash following the release of the second DC installment. Speaking with GamesRadar+, Sandberg explained how the response left him questioning his future with large franchises.
“Fans can get very, very crazy and very angry with you,” Sandberg said. “You can get death threats and everything so after Shazam 2, I was like, ‘I never want to do another IP-based movie because it’s just not worth it.'”
Sandberg’s time with Shazam! began after his work on Annabelle: Creation in 2017. Reflecting on those years, he described feeling ready to leave the superhero genre behind. In an earlier interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he expressed his desire to return to horror and explore new creative directions.
In 2023, following the critical reception of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Sandberg posted a now-deleted statement on social media addressing the experience. He noted that the film earned his “lowest critic score and highest audience score” on Rotten Tomatoes. Sandberg stressed that he did not regret working on the Shazam! films and valued the opportunities and lessons they brought, though he admitted the atmosphere surrounding superhero discourse caused significant stress.
Despite his initial decision to move away from IP-driven projects, Sandberg changed course after receiving the script for Until Dawn, an adaptation of the 2015 survival horror video game. The concept rekindled his enthusiasm for filmmaking, particularly given the screenplay’s use of a time-loop structure that mirrors the experience of replaying the game.
“I was sent this script, and I was like, ‘Ah, this would be so much fun to do,’” he said. “I kind of have to do it, and hope that the people see what we’re trying to do and like it.”
Sandberg praised the writers’ approach to adapting the source material, emphasizing how the time-reset mechanism allowed the film to capture the branching narrative style that defined the original game.
Returning to horror has presented its own set of challenges. Sandberg described Until Dawn as more difficult to make than either of the Shazam! movies, citing budget constraints and the ambition of the project. However, he welcomed the opportunity to create full R-rated horror, complete with elaborate kills, practical effects, and creature designs—elements he had long wanted to explore.
“It was very hard to make this movie, and it was a very ambitious movie for the time and the money we had,” Sandberg said. “But I was so eager to do horror again.”
Until Dawn opens in theaters on Friday.
