Shazam! Director Almost Quit Hollywood After Fan Backlash: Here’s Why He Stayed

by

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 returns to high-budget movie production, an unexpected move even for him, considering the criticism that nearly dissuaded him from creating movies based on intellectual properties altogether.

The Swedish filmmaker, starting out with modest beginnings, has ascended to great prominence in Hollywood. Known as Sandberg, he developed a passion for filmmaking at an early age and initially focused on animation and documentaries. His career evolved to encompass horror-themed short films, which he shared online, earning him a devoted fanbase. One of these short films, “Lights Out” (2013), was later transformed into a blockbuster hit in 2016. Indeed, when a film with a $5 million budget generates close to $150 million globally, it’s hard for Hollywood executives not to take notice. Subsequently, he repeated this success with “Annabelle: Creation,” which raked in over $300 million against a budget of $15 million. Following these achievements, the director was entrusted with the Shazam! franchise, directing both the original Shazam! and its 2023 sequel, Fury of the Gods.

Recently, Sandberg had a chat with GamesRadar+ for promotional purposes, discussing his work on the adaptation of Until Dawn. The director shared that he initially didn’t think he would take on another project based on an IP (Intellectual Property) due to the intense and sometimes hostile reactions from fans. He explained, “ frankly, fans can become extremely passionate and even angry at times, leading to threats of all sorts“. After wrapping up work on Shazam 2, he said he wasn’t keen on another IP-based movie, but then received the script for Until Dawn which sparked his interest. He remarked, “This project seems like a lot of fun to tackle all these horror elements. I guess I feel compelled to do it and hope that people appreciate our efforts and enjoy 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

Due to a blend of positive and negative responses towards “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and its underperformance at global box offices, director David Sandberg was compelled to address criticism from various reviewers. Interestingly, not just Sandberg, but also two main cast members, Zachary Levi and Rachel Zegler, took to social media to share their thoughts on the film’s performance. Given the ongoing internet-related controversies of these two actors and Sandberg’s background in YouTube and Vimeo, it’s not shocking that they would stand up for their creative vision.

Just as intriguing is David F. Sandberg’s choice to join the adaptation of Until Dawn. Given that the movie hasn’t been widely praised by audiences or critics since its debut, it remains unclear how much blame can be placed on Sandberg alone, given the complex nature of studio filmmaking with numerous contributors. Only time will reveal if David F. Sandberg returns to creating entirely original films following this venture into IP-based productions.

Until Dawn is currently showing in theatres worldwide.

Read More

2025-04-28 00:45