You might be surprised to learn that David F. Sandberg, the director behind Shazam! and Shazam: Fury of the Gods, is stepping back into the realm of IP films with his latest project, Until Dawn. Despite vowing never to tackle another IP-based movie after the intense backlash he faced with his DC Cinematic Universe projects, Sandberg found himself drawn to the script for Until Dawn.
In an interview with GamesRadar+, Sandberg explained what attracted him to the project. "What I loved about the script [is] that it wasn't trying to recreate the game," he said about the adaptation of the beloved horror game. "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 challenge of satisfying fans of the original game, who can be very particular about how their favorite stories are adapted for the screen.
Reflecting on his previous experiences, Sandberg noted, "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.'" Yet, the script for Until Dawn changed his mind. "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,'" he shared. He praised the writers for their innovative approach, particularly the time loop concept that mirrors the game's replay and decision-making elements. "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 understands that it's impossible to please every fan when adapting an IP property. He believes his approach with Until Dawn is the best way to capture the hearts of its fans. "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 was penned by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman, known for writing It: Chapter Two, and stars Ella Rubin. The film is set to hit theaters on April 25, 2025.
