If you don’t follow David F. Sandberg on social media, you definitely should. He’s one of the most honest Hollywood figures on Twitter and is someone who loves to share tips/tricks/how-to’s regarding filmmaking. Even if you’re just a fan and not a budding filmmaker, he shares some incredibly interesting information. The “Shazam” filmmaker has also opened up about the odd situation he’s put in during the publicity cycle for ‘Fury of the Gods.’ This feels like a lame-duck franchise, and with the dismal box office returns, it’s clear his days in the “Shazam” franchise are done. But this isn’t something Sandberg is lamenting. In fact, he’s ready to move on.
In a recent thread on Twitter, Sandberg talked about the critical reception of “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and also his future as a filmmaker. Well before the reviews and box office came in for ‘Fury of the Gods,’ Sandberg has been open about his desire to go back to his horror roots and escape superheroes. He confirmed those comments, yet again, but also talked about how he’s happy to escape the online discourse surrounding superhero films.
“As I’ve been saying for a while now I’m very eager to go back to horror (as well as trying some new things). After six years of ‘Shazam,’ I’m definitely done with superheroes for now,” wrote Sandberg. “Just to be clear, I don’t regret even for a second making the ‘Shazam’ movies. I’ve learned so much and gotten to work with some truly amazing people. Will forever be grateful that I got to direct two of these! They’ve been very challenging but valuable experiences.”
He added, “One thing I’ve really been looking forward to is disconnecting from the superhero discourse online. A lot of that stresses me out so much and it will be nice not having to think about that anymore.”
With superhero films and online fandom being so omnipresent in today’s culture, it’s obvious why a filmmaker would be “stressed” when they’re part of it. Look at DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn’s Twitter feed and you see, no matter what he shares, he’s inundated with tons and tons of fans asking him about rumors, asking him about future plans, and some wishing he’d be fired or worse because he somehow ruined their lives by making superhero films they don’t enjoy.
Often, superhero film fans can be wonderful, enthusiastic cheerleaders. But there’s that dark side to the fandom where there are death threats, racism, homophobia, and various other disturbing situations that someone like Todd Field or Celine Sciamma typically don’t have to deal with. Some filmmakers, particularly people like Zack Snyder and the aforementioned Gunn, seem to thrive in this culture. Others, like Sandberg, clearly aren’t interested in being part of it.
As a fan of horror and superhero films, I’m excited that Sandberg is going back to the genre that got him his start. Films like “Annabelle: Creation” and “Lights Out” are fun movies, and it’ll be great to see what he has up his sleeve next.
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