Summary

David F. Sandberg almost quit IP-based filmmaking after the backlash post-Shazam 2.
Mixed reactions to Shazam 2 led Sandberg, Zachary Levi, and Rachel Zegler to respond to critics.
Sandberg's decision to direct Until Dawn shows continued interest in IP-based films, despite criticism.

David F. Sandberg is back in the realm of big-budget filmmaking, which comes as a bit of a surprise to the director himself. Backlash to the biggest film of his career almost stopped him from making IP-based films entirely.

The Swedish filmmaker has had quite an illustrious climb to the heights of Hollywood. Sandberg became obsessed with moviemaking at a young age and focused on animation and documentary films early on in his career. Eventually, he began working on horror-themed short films and uploaded them to YouTube and Vimeo, where he gained a cult following. One of these short films—2013's Lights Out—was turned into a surprise box office smash in 2016. Seriously, when your $5 million-budgeted horror film grosses nearly $150 million worldwide, Hollywood suits tend to stand up and take notice. After that, Sandberg pulled a similar stunt with Annabelle: Creation, which grossed over $300 million on a $15 million budget. The director was then given the keys to the Shazam! Franchise, directing both Shazam! And its 2023 sequel, Fury of the Gods.

Sandberg recently sat down for an interview with GamesRadar+ to promote the release of his Until Dawn adaptation. According to the director, his taking the Until Dawn gig wasn't something he thought he'd ever do again. "I mean, to be honest, fans can get very, very crazy and very angry with you," Sandberg claimed. "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. 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.'"

"You can get, like, death threats and everything..."

Reactions To The Second Shazam! Film Saw David F. Sandberg Questioning His Future In Hollywood Filmmaking

The mixed reactions to Shazam! Fury of the Gods and its subsequent disappointment at the worldwide box office saw Sandberg having to publicly respond to the film's many critics. Sandberg wasn't alone as two of the film's stars, Zachary Levi and Rachel Zegler, also felt the need to comment on the film's prospects via social media at the time. Given those two's continued controversies involving internet platforms and Sandberg's roots on YouTube and Vimeo, perhaps it's unsurprising that they would feel the need to fight for their creative vision.

Equally as interesting is Sandberg's decision to board the Until Dawn adaptation. After all, it's not like that particular film has been delighting fans or critics since its release. How much of this is Sandberg's fault is hard to parse, as always, considering studio filmmaking is a complicated process with hundreds of people involved. Time will tell if David F. Sandberg goes back to wholly original moviemaking after this latest dalliance with IP-based films.

Until Dawn is currently showing in theatres worldwide.

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Horror

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Release Date: April 25, 2025
Runtime: 103 Minutes
Director: David F. Sandberg
Writers: Gary Dauberman, Blair Butler
Producers: Carter Swan, Roy Lee, Gary Dauberman, Charles Miller, Lotta Losten, Asad Qizilbash