‘Shazam 2' Backlash Almost Put ‘Until Dawn's Director Off Directing IP Movies Ever Again

Director David Sandberg on the set of 'Until Dawn.'
"I knew I wanted to do Until Dawn once I read the script," explains director David F. Sandberg as we discuss his latest film inspired by the iconic video game. However, there was one thing still holding him back. "To be honest, after Shazam 2, I was like, 'I don't know if I ever want to do an IP thing again,' because the fans can get very passionate and have specific ideas about how things should be. They can get very angry with you, and it can be death threats and all these kinds of things, so I was like, 'Do I really want to do that again?'"
"Gary Dauberman, who I worked with on Annabelle: Creation, sent me this script, and it was so cool. I would get to do all these different horror genres, and I've always wanted to do a horror movie that is full of practical effects, gore, monsters, and all these things. I couldn't say no."
One year after her sister disappears, Clover, played by Anora's Ella Rubin, and a bunch of friends head to where she went missing looking for answers. However, the journey leads them to a compound where they are trapped and hunted, killed one by one, but caught in a bloody loop where they die over and over until they can survive until dawn. Until Dawn is R-rated and lands in theaters on Friday, April 25, 2025.
"What I liked about the script was that they left the game alone," Sandberg enthuses. "Rather than try to recreate what was already pretty much a very good movie, they expanded on the universe and did a continuation of that. Instead of the same Until Dawn that people have played and seen, it's more Until Dawn. I felt like, 'Fans have to appreciate that, right? Of course, there are still going to be people who get very upset. I've seen people upset that there's no snow in the movie, and it's like, 'Really? Was that the most important thing about the game?'"
"I remember with Shazam, there were people who were very upset that it wasn't dark and gritty. There was even a guy who released a trailer that he had edited to make it look dark and gritty because he was going to do his own fan edit. I don't know if he ever completed it, of like a dark, gritty Shazam, where he cut out all the humor and made it sepia tone instead. Sure, that's cool if you want a gritty Shazam, but to me, the comics were never that, really."
FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™
Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase
Pinpoint By Linkedin
Guess The Category
Queens By Linkedin
Crown Each Region
Crossclimb By Linkedin
Unlock A Trivia Ladder
Traditionally, outside of multimillion-dollar franchises like Resident Evil, it has been hard to get audiences to turn out en masse for films based on video games. However, things are changing.
"It's only in recent years that they've all been working," Sandberg muses. "With The Last of Us, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and now The Minecraft Movie is doing all the money in the world. I don't know. The old Super Mario Brothers movie from the 80s and the Street Fighter movie weren't really great. I don't know if I'm missing someone, but I think The Last of Us showed the way. Video games have become more cinematic now that you can do more." Fallout has also been a significant ratings and critical hit for Amazon's Prime Video.
"How much has The Last of Us changed things? I'm not sure," he continues. It helped in terms of people's willingness to want to do these things. Until Dawn is also a PlayStation production, so I'm sure seeing that success made them want to do even more things, but beyond that, I don't know."
As a lifelong horror fan with a successful track record in the genre, Sandberg wanted to do things the way his heroes did and use as many practical effects as possible.
"As a kid, I would see these movies, read books, and watch behind-the-scenes features on the practical effects and makeup. I've just always wanted to do that," the director explains. 'My previous two horror movies were more supernatural movies, so they don't have a lot of that. I love the magic trick element, but it is very challenging. I understand why a lot of movies are not made that way anymore, especially with tightening deadlines and schedules, because it takes a lot of time, and you don't get a lot of shots at it, maybe one or two. If it's a Shazam movie where everything is added afterward, you can do take after take until you get the performances you want. This way is a lot trickier and takes time but is also very satisfying when it works."
"As a horror fan, I really like practical effects in horror movies, but there are also combinations of it. One of my favorite shots in Until Dawn is when a character gets their head smashed with a sledgehammer. We did smash a physical dummy head on the day, which broke and looked really cool, and that was the version in the movie for the longest time. Then the VFX vendor, UPP, shot an extra element they had: a skull filled with goo that they smashed with a sledgehammer and comped it in. Now, it's my favorite shot in the movie because it's so over the top. I'm not against visual effects, but doing practical effects is fun and satisfying."
However, not everything he tried made it to the final cut.
"There's a shot of a full moon that's still in the movie that gives a hint to what that was, but it didn't really work, so we're putting it all on the deleted scenes on the home video release. I like showing all that stuff, especially because we went through the trouble of making and shooting all those things, so I want to put it out there," he adds.
Ella Rubin stars in 'Until Dawn.'
Using practical effects gave Sandberg and his team wiggle room to get creative. The loop element of the narrative meant they were able to kill characters multiple times, and each time in a new way, but that also offered challenges.
"We could go pretty brutal with these kills," he explains. "There are some deaths in the scene where you're like, 'Well if that were the end for that character, that would be pretty bleak and sad,' but they do come back. Another important element to make that work was that they couldn't come back forever and just keep doing this over and over again. There had to be stakes and a limit to it, which is why you can only do it for so many days in the movie. Dying over and over takes a toll on you, just both mentally and physically, because you start changing. It definitely enabled us to have a lot of fun with that, but we had to have limitations to it."
"The great thing was that every night was different, with different threats that appeared, so while the night started over each time, it was not the same night. That adds to this feeling of what's going to come next. You don't know. What's going to be the new threat? That's scary for the characters as well."
One particularly gruesome scene in Until Dawn keeps audiences talking long after their minds are blown in the theater: the bathroom scene.
"It was certainly my favorite when I was reading the script," Sandberg laughs. "I was like, 'I can't wait to do this. I know exactly how to do it. We'll just lock off the camera, shoot the actor, take them out, put in a dummy, and blow it up.' However, because of the way we did it, we had to shoot it on the very last day. It destroyed the set with blood and stuff everywhere in these explosions. It's one of the few times something has turned out exactly how I imagined it, which is rare in movies. There are compromises, and things don't work out exactly, but I'm very happy with that one. It's exactly the way I imagined it."
"We knew it worked when we were on set because of how we shot it; it was just a simple cut. We could play it back, splice it together with video playback and have a look at it right away, and everyone just reacted with laughter and like, 'Holy s**t!' We watched it on repeat over and over again, so I didn't have any doubt that it would work with an audience because it worked for everyone on set."
(Left to right) Peter Stormare and Ella Rubin star in 'Until Dawn.'
In addition to the Easter Eggs from the Until Dawn world that litter the film, Sandberg set out to seed it with inside jokes in another way: by cameoing on one of the Missing posters on a pin board.
"You've got to have a cameo in there somewhere, right?" the filmmaker laughs. "That whole wall is crew members, a couple of stock photos, and people we know. I had to put myself in there as well. I like to have little cameos like that. I'm also the masked monster in the red hallway."
Like cinematic greats who have come before and inspired him, such as Alfred Hitchcock, Until Dawn is by no means the first time Sandberg has inserted himself into one of his visions.
"Sometimes it's just my voice. In Shazam, I was the voice of Mister Mind, the little worm at the very end," he recalls. "In Shazam 2, I was killed by a harpy. I'm out running in a field and get grabbed. In Lights Out, I'm the doctor's voice on the tape they find. Did I do one for Annabelle: Creation? Maybe, but I don't remember now. Maybe I didn't have any cameo on that one."
However, the biggest thing that mattered to effectively recreating the world of Until Dawn was securing Peter Stormare, known for his performances in Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Armageddon, Minority Report, and Constantine. Here, as he did in the original video game, the Swedish actor plays the villainous Dr. Hill.
"We all knew right from the start we needed to get him, and it's always been my dream to work with him because I'm also from Sweden," Sandberg explains. "Growing up seeing him in big Hollywood movies was like, 'He's a Swede. As a Swede, you can get to Hollywood. He's proved it.' I actually wanted to get him in my first movie, Lights Out, but the studio said, 'Well, he's too creepy and weird to play a family guy,' so they said no. For this one, we had to get him, so I wrote him a letter in Swedish telling him that I've been wanting to work with him since my first movie and everything. He was all on board. He was like, 'Well, in Swedish, we can talk s**t about everyone on set, and they won't know.'"
"He cares very much about the character as well. He wanted to do it right, and he wanted not to ruin Hill's legacy. The important thing was that Until Dawn could also work for people who hadn't played the game. Maybe there'll be slight confusion by the last shot, but Hill's still around. He's not gone."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Forbes

2 hours ago

• Forbes

‘Quordle' Hints And Answers For Sunday, June 22

Here's some help with today's Quordle, including hints and the answers. Before today's Quordle hints and answers, here's where you can find the ones for Friday's game: Hey, folks! Hints and the answers for today's Quordle words are just ahead. How To Play Quordle For any newcomers joining us, here's how to play Quordle: Just start typing in words. You have four five-letter words to guess and nine attempts to find them all. The catch is that you play all four words simultaneously. If you get a letter in the right place for any of the four words, it will light up in green. If a word contains a letter from one of your guesses but it's in the wrong place, it will appear in yellow. You could always check out the practice games before taking on the daily puzzle. Here are some hints for today's Quordle game, followed by the answers: What Are Today's Quordle Hints? FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder What Are Today's Quordle Answers? Spoiler alert! Don't scroll any further down the page until you're ready to find out today's Quordle answers. This is your final warning! Today's words are... That's all there is to it for today's Quordle clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog for hints and the solution for Monday's game if you need them. See you then! If you'd like to chat about Quordle and New York Times word games such as Wordle, Connections and Strands (and to hang out with a bunch of lovely people), join us over at Discord! Also, subscribe to my newsletter, Pastimes!

Miami Herald

3 hours ago

• Miami Herald

Hello nepo babies: Here are the richest celebrity kids

It used to be enough for a child to be adorable, maybe make a red carpet appearance or two, and then fade quietly into normal life. But in today's fame-fueled economy, being born to celebrity parents doesn't just open doors-it opens vaults. Today, kids with famous last names don't wait for trust are the fund. The concept of generational wealth isn't new, but the celebrity version of it has taken on a life of its own. Kids born into fame now drive search traffic, land sponsorships, and influence global markets without ever needing a LinkedIn profile. Related: Martha Stewart aesthetic sets the tone for summer For some, simply being born is enough to launch a billion-dollar narrative. It's no longer about what they'll do one day. It's about the economic value they bring the moment they enter the world. Royal titles, superstar parents, and massive social followings mean that their net worths can skyrocket before they even learn to write their names. So who's topping the toddler rich list in 2025? A new study takes a closer look at just how financially powerful these celebrity children have become. And the findings reveal a whole new side to modern fame. According to a recent report by baby brand Posh Peanut, Princess Charlotte tops the list of the richest celebrity children with a staggering estimated net worth of $5 billion. While she's still years away from earning her own income, the combination of royal lineage and worldwide fascination with the British monarchy gives her an unparalleled economic edge. Her older brother, Prince George, isn't far behind, with an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion. And though their wealth stems largely from projected influence and inherited power, celebrity kids in the entertainment world are catching up fast. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky's son, Rza Athelston Mayers, is only three years old, yet already holds an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion. Blue Ivy Carter, the daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, follows with $755 million and nearly a million monthly Google searches. Related: Here's Kim Kardashian's key to business success Even Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's children, including North, Saint, and Chicago, each sit at an estimated $525 million. In total, the top 10 list includes names like Stormi Webster, Daisy Dove Bloom, Ella Clooney, and Shiloh Jolie (who leads in online popularity with 3.2 million monthly searches). These figures aren't based on earnings or assets in the traditional sense. The research used 2025 data to estimate net worth by analyzing the public profiles of celebrity children, including their parents' wealth, projected brand value, and popularity based on monthly Google search volume. The numbers may be speculative, but they reflect a very real cultural reality: being born famous now comes with serious financial weight. Beyond the jaw-dropping numbers, the study points to a deeper societal shift: kids aren't just growing up in the being defined by it. A spokesperson for Posh Peanut summed it up bluntly: "The astronomical valuations placed on celebrity children, particularly those connected to royal or entertainment dynasties, highlight how modern celebrity culture increasingly treats children as economic assets rather than private individuals." They added, "This phenomenon raises important questions about childhood privacy and the psychological impact of extreme public scrutiny." Psychologists have long warned that growing up in the public eye can distort a child's sense of identity. Constant media attention, fan commentary, and brand pressure can affect emotional development, self-esteem, and the ability to form healthy boundaries. Even when parents have good intentions, the spotlight doesn't dim. Every outfit becomes a style moment, every appearance a headline. And when childhood is treated as content, the line between fame and personhood gets dangerously blurred. It's a high-stakes balancing act. Parents, some deliberately, some inevitably, are navigating a fine line between legacy-building and exploitation. Meanwhile, brands and media continue to feed a cycle where fame begins at birth and marketability matters more than milestones. As influencer culture grows up, quite literally, the new power players of the next generation may not need to do anything to stay relevant. Their last name, their lineage, and their online presence are already doing the work. In a world where virality matters more than credentials, the next business moguls may be barely out of diapers. Related: Your next Lululemon top may be made from old clothes The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.

Business Upturn

8 hours ago

• Business Upturn

GroomYourGram: The Profit-First Influencer Agency Rewriting India's Marketing Playbook

In a space often defined by vanity metrics and unpredictability, GroomYourGram has emerged as a refreshingly grounded and profitable force in influencer marketing. Founded five years ago, this Mumbai-based agency has worked with over 300 brands and powered more than 1,000 campaigns—ranging from beauty and skincare to automobile and finance. With a team of 32 operating out of its Lokhandwala office, GroomYourGram delivers not only scale but results. A core strength lies in its unparalleled access to India's creator economy. With a curated community of over 400,000 influencers and 10,000+ active campaign participants monthly, GroomYourGram helps brands like Juicy Chemistry, Tira Beauty, Pilgrim, and Dot & Key craft meaningful narratives. On the corporate front, the agency has driven HDFC Bank's LinkedIn growth strategy and supported pharma giants such as Cipla Health and Glenmark in awareness initiatives. From pioneering Instagram Reels marketing to being among the top 4 agencies for Moj, GroomYourGram has always anticipated trends before they broke mainstream. It has led campaigns with celebrities like Kiara Advani, Janhvi Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh for brands including Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Skoda Kylak, Pepe Jeans, Snitch, and Spykar. Spearheaded by Palak Tannaa, who commands a LinkedIn audience of over 62,000 professionals, the team combines creative ingenuity with data intelligence. Despite multiple investment offers, the agency continues to be self-funded—prioritizing vision over valuation. As a brand that has been profitable since Day One, GroomYourGram exemplifies what happens when influence meets intention. What sets the agency apart is its refusal to follow a one-size-fits-all strategy. Each campaign is customized—whether it's for a youth-centric fashion brand like Freakins or a global skincare label entering Tier II cities. Their campaigns aren't just viral—they're valuable. The agency's model blends strategy with scale. In a world saturated by content, it doesn't just amplify messages—it aligns them with audiences that matter. Fashion clients like Libas, Spykar, and Pepe Jeans see tailored influencer-led storytelling campaigns that go beyond 'likes' and drive brand lift. Healthcare and pharma clients get compliance-ready creativity, while finance brands benefit from thought leadership-led influencer models. Internally, the company operates like a startup but performs like an enterprise. Its operational agility allows quick campaign turnaround, while its in-house tech stack and talent pipeline ensure scalability without compromise. The company is in the process of rolling out an AI-powered influencer analytics tool to further help brands measure ROI and sentiment in real time. With its finger firmly on the cultural pulse, GroomYourGram is not just building campaigns—it's building a new marketing DNA for India's digital-first brands. As brands in India increasingly seek partners who can combine storytelling, performance, and trust, GroomYourGram is becoming the agency of choice—not just for creators and companies, but for the future of digital India. For Business Upturn readers who track growth-focused stories and high-ROI ventures, this isn't just about numbers. It's about sustainable scale, high-value execution, and the future of profitable digital innovation. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Ahmedabad Plane Crash