You might be surprised to learn that David F. Sandberg, the director behind Shazam! and Shazam: Fury of the Gods, is back in the realm of IP films with his upcoming project, Until Dawn. After facing significant backlash from his DC Cinematic Universe endeavors, Sandberg initially swore off IP-based movies due to the intense reactions from fans, including death threats. However, the unique script for Until Dawn changed his mind.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, Sandberg explained that what drew him to Until Dawn was its departure from simply recreating the original game. "What I loved about the script [is] that it wasn't trying to recreate the game," he said. "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 challenges of satisfying fans of the game, who can be very particular about how their favorite stories are adapted.

Despite his initial reluctance, the allure of the Until Dawn script, which introduces a time loop concept where the night restarts, allowing for different choices akin to the game's mechanics, was too compelling to pass up. "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 remarked. He praised the writers, Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman, for their innovative approach that captures the spirit of the game without merely replicating it.

Sandberg is well aware that not every fan will be pleased with an IP adaptation, but he believes his approach to Until Dawn is the best way to win over the game's 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, starring Ella Rubin and written by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman, is set to hit theaters on April 25, 2025.