You might be surprised to learn that David F. Sandberg, the director behind *Shazam!* and *Shazam: Fury of the Gods*, is back in the world of IP films with his upcoming movie, *Until Dawn*. After experiencing intense backlash from his DC Cinematic Universe projects, Sandberg had vowed never to return to IP-based films. Yet, the script for *Until Dawn* changed his mind, and he's now sharing his thoughts on the "very, very crazy" fan reactions and what drew him back to adapting another beloved property.
In an interview with GamesRadar+, Sandberg emphasized that *Until Dawn* isn't just trying to replicate the original horror game. "What I loved about the script [is] that it wasn't trying to recreate the game," he explained. "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 challenges of pleasing fans of the original game, noting that they have strong opinions about how their favorite stories should be adapted to the screen.
Reflecting on his experience with the DCU, Sandberg admitted the toll it took on him. "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,'" he said. However, the script for *Until Dawn* intrigued him enough to reconsider.
"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 shared. He praised the writers for their innovative approach, particularly the time loop concept where the night repeats, capturing the essence of replaying the game with different choices. "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 difficulty of satisfying every fan, Sandberg believes his approach to *Until Dawn* will resonate with the game's 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*, penned by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman, known for his work on *It: Chapter Two*, stars Ella Rubin and is set to hit theaters on April 25, 2025.
