SDCC 2017: David F. Sandberg is officially directing Shazam
By Erik Swann
David F. Sandberg has officially been tapped to direct Shazam!
We recently learned Shazam will be the next DCEU film following Aquaman and production will tentatively start early next year. With this, fans wondered if a director had been hired. Thankfully, one has been found.
While doing a panel at San Diego Comic-Con with Kevin Smith, director David F. Sandberg confirmed he is directing Shazam. After revealing his involvement, he explained that progress on the film has been going smoothly:
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"“It’s coming along pretty well. I’m very happy with the script and how it’s all coming along, so it’s super exciting.”"
Sandberg was reported to be the top candidate for the job a while ago, but neither he nor the studio ever confirmed it. This will be his first foray into the superhero genre, as he’s mostly known for his horror films, like last year’s surprise hit Lights Out and the upcoming Annabelle: Creation.
While at SDCC 2017, Sandberg also caught up with IGN to talk more about the project. During the interview, he explained that the idea of “wish fulfillment” is what drew him to it:
"“Yeah, just because it’s the ultimate wish fulfillment, you know? Every kid wants to be Superman and here’s the kid who gets the chance to be Superman and, you know, finds out that it could also be a challenge.”"
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He also told the outlet that he is looking forward to working within a different genre of film:
"“I definitely plan on doing more horror […] but it’ll be fun to try something that’s a little bit different.”"
Sandberg is an intriguing choice, but it definitely sounds like he’s passionate about the material. Fans have been waiting to see Captain Marvel (Shazam) on the big screen for some time now, and they’ll no doubt be waiting with bated breath to see Sandberg’s take him on.