You might be surprised to learn that David F. Sandberg, the director behind Shazam! and Shazam: Fury of the Gods, is back to helm another IP-based film with Until Dawn. After facing significant backlash from his previous work in the DC Cinematic Universe, Sandberg initially swore off IP films altogether. However, the compelling script for Until Dawn changed his mind, drawing him back into the world of beloved stories.
In an interview with GamesRadar+, Sandberg shared his enthusiasm for the project, noting that the film adaptation of the popular horror game isn't merely trying to squeeze a 10-hour experience into a two-hour movie. "What I loved about the script [is] that it wasn't trying to recreate the game," he said. "But it is scary still, even though we're doing a new thing." He acknowledged the passion of IP fans, who often have strong opinions about how their favorite stories should be portrayed on 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,'" Sandberg confessed.
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,'" he explained. Sandberg praised the writers for their innovative approach, particularly the time loop concept where the night restarts, echoing 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 challenges of pleasing every fan when adapting an IP. He believes that trying to recreate the game exactly would have led to criticism. "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 It: Chapter Two) and starring Ella Rubin, is set to hit theaters on April 25, 2025. Sandberg's approach to this adaptation aims to capture the essence of the game while offering a fresh cinematic experience.
