Director David Sandberg Shares He Received Death Threats Over Film ‘Shazam’

Superhero fandoms can be intense, as director David Sandberg discovered following the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods in 2023.

In a recent interview with GamesRadar, David Sandberg opened up about the harsh treatment he faced after the film’s release, revealing that he received death threats from angry fans. Sandberg shared, “Fans can get very, very crazy and very angry with you. You can receive, 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.’”

Shazam! Fury of the Gods, a sequel to the 2019 DC hit Shazam!, starred Zachary Levi, Grace Caroline Currey, and Helen Mirren. Despite its star-studded cast, the film was a critical and commercial disappointment, with a mere 49% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and only $134 million at the worldwide box office—far below expectations.

After this experience, David Sandberg turned to a new project. He’s now working on Until Dawn, a movie based on the popular video game of the same name. The film stars Ella Rubin and Michael Cimino, and Sandberg is excited about the project, stating that the script was “so good” he couldn’t pass it up. Until Dawn is currently in theaters, offering Sandberg a fresh start away from the superhero genre.

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