You might have thought that David F. Sandberg, the director behind Shazam! and Shazam: Fury of the Gods, would steer clear of IP films after the tumultuous reception of his DC projects. Yet, here he is, gearing up for the release of his new film, Until Dawn. In a candid reflection, Sandberg discusses the intense backlash he faced and what drew him back into the world of IP.
"What I loved about the script [is] that it wasn't trying to recreate the game," Sandberg shared with GamesRadar+ 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 acknowledges the high expectations and particularity of IP fans, who have strong opinions on how their favorite stories should be brought 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.
Despite his reservations, the script for Until Dawn piqued his interest. "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 explained. He praised the writers for their innovative approach, particularly the time loop concept that echoes the game's replayability and choice-driven narrative. "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 the challenge of satisfying every fan when adapting an IP, but he believes his approach with Until Dawn is the best way to win over 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 his work on It: Chapter Two, and stars Ella Rubin. The film is set to hit theaters on April 25, 2025.
