David F. Sandberg has clarified his Reddit comment on Shazam! Fury of the Gods‘ underwhelming box office. The horror filmmaker’s sequel to the 2019’s Shazam is expected to open lower than early projections at around $30 million in the first three days. The weak weekend earnings have some DC Film pundits disappointed over critics bashing the family entertainer superhero pic while DCEU folks are pointing fingers at the DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran for its failure.
Even the increasing online chatter for Shazam! Fury of the Gods has not worked in its favor. Instances like cast member Rachel Zegler‘s controversial comment stating she just “needed a job” and DC fans accusing James Gunn of nepotism for Jennifer Holland‘s cameo have burdened the latest DCU entry with more hurdles. It has eventually resulted in Shazam 2 eyeing a 28M-33M weekend earning, as Luiz Fernando notes.
Shazam 2’s projected 35M earning was at the top of discussions on the DCEU subreddit and drew in David F. Sandberg’s reaction too. The director candidly wrote in the comments, “No worries. It’s not like this comes as a surprise. I saw where this was heading a long time ago. I’ll be alright though. I got paid all my money upfront.”
Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ director & cast Rachel Zegler in damage control mode after box office projections
David’s comment was seen by many as a sign that Shazam! Fury of the Gods was already a mess due to possible studio interventions. In addition, it also led to more presumptions with no basis prompting the director to clarify that his Reddit post was “taken out of context”. He also added, “It was absolutely not a comment on the quality of the film which I’m very proud of.”
Zegler has also responded on Twitter addressing her audience to say “give it [Shazam! Fury of the Gods] a chance.” The Snow White actor was referring to Shazam 2’s below the average Rotten Tomatoes score and reminded that “we have an 85% audience score for a reason.” Even so, the divided reception from the comic book movie community indicates bad news for the Shazam franchise. Readers can check it out below.
— Home of DCU (@homeofdcu) March 18, 2023
Oh no, this reply on Reddit, taken out of context, was made as a joke and is now being read all the wrong ways. I guess the smiley I added on the original comment didn’t do the trick… It was absolutely not a comment on the quality of the film which I’m very proud of. https://t.co/8Ob2U2luMR
— David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher) March 18, 2023
hey our film is actually really good! but mostly i just absolutely loved making it and the people i met whilst doing so 🙂 go see it! give it a chance. we have an 85% audience score for a reason. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2OmbMSlsyw
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) March 19, 2023
some people out there and just being… senselessly mean. and it’s unnecessary. and i know, i know, “if you can’t handle the heat…” and all that nonsense, and you’re right. but our film is actually very good. it’s just cool to hate on fun nowadays. that’s okay. we’re good. ❤️
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) March 19, 2023
#ShazamFuryOfTheGods poised to underperform after soft 11.7M FRI Opening day at US #BoxOffice,incl 3.4M THU previews.#DCEU’s #2 lowest FRI OD ever (and only above day&date #WW84’s 7.5M with no previews over 2.151 theatres limited to a 10% capacity)
Eyeing a 28M-33M 3-day weekend pic.twitter.com/pi78wAHQcy— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) March 18, 2023
Shazam fury of the gods opening weekend $30M-$40M..
I really thought it would do more but it has strong competitions at the box office. Also don’t see the hype for it. 🤷🏽♂️
— TK (@RonnieTrapie) March 15, 2023
Clearly it shows that WB never learn at all!!! Bcos for a brand that’s about to be refreshed, they’re not doing a good job. Shazam is about to open with 30m plus and Tom Cruise is now the one talking about the Flash??? Ooh dear
— RaVeN-KaY (@tweetkayc) March 18, 2023
JAMES gunn's wife happened James Gunn happened#SellSnyderVerseToNetflix #SellZSJLtoNetflix https://t.co/LHkJUcPfyn
— Gaurav (@Gaurav10730125) March 19, 2023
We live in a world where Morbius had a more successful opening weekend than Shazam 2……. https://t.co/mg3ng34GTD
— Christopher J Rosado (@OUTATIME1995) March 19, 2023
This is disappointing. We really enjoyed it. I hate the “well, we know DC is resetting so this won’t lead anywhere” excuse from movie goers today. Just go see a good movie. Don’t worry about “where it leads to”. It’s a great standalone film. #ShazamMovie #Shazam https://t.co/KjNUUyw6T4
— Raulradio (@raulradio) March 19, 2023
Almost like telling the audience that you're rebooting everything, so this movie is pointless, isn't the best marketing strategy. https://t.co/MulJyHQ7Zj
— Mark B (@B83Markus) March 18, 2023
At this point, I would genuinely take a pause and ponder over how a 2 year old cbm movie( that didn't even release in theatres) outtrends anything related to a new DC theatrical release. https://t.co/fHEdZEgPoQ
— Manoj Mathews🇶🇦🇨🇦 #ReleaseTheAyerCut (@ManojVMathews) March 19, 2023
Such a shame. They have got to stop this wishy-washy attitude toward the pre-DCU lineup in public and dedicate required marketing spends to them. Terrible release date shifting is already done and can't be fixed. This year's lineup facing a lot of hurdles due to new leadership. https://t.co/knlb7ZblIZ
— Kirby's Last Snack (@KirbysLastSnack) March 18, 2023
I get it, I do…but it’s actually really fun with heart so I hope word of mouth helps. https://t.co/inFOgvfr23
— Will Beamon (@WOBeamon) March 18, 2023
It’s been a slippery slope battle for Warner Bros. in promoting Shazam 2. The studio was initially called out for its lack of marketing when Fury of the Gods was nearing its release window. At present, WB is faced with more criticism for going overboard with promotions such as spoiling Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman appearance.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is currently in theaters.
