David F. Sandberg

Last updated
David F. Sandberg
David F. Sandberg by Gage Skidmore 5.jpg
Sandberg in March 2019
Born (1981-01-21) 21 January 1981 (age 44)
Jönköping, Sweden
Other namesponysmasher
OccupationFilmmaker
Years active2006–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2013)​

David F. Sandberg (born 21 January 1981) is a Swedish filmmaker. He came to prominence for writing, directing, producing, editing, and scoring no-budget short horror films, which he released online under the pseudonym "ponysmasher". The most popular of these, Lights Out (2013), received a feature film adaptation in 2016, marking his feature-length directorial debut. He has since directed the films Annabelle: Creation (2017), Shazam! (2019), and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023). He is currently attached to direct and produce the 2025 film adaptation of the video game Until Dawn .

Contents

Early life

David F. Sandberg was born in Jönköping on 21 January 1981. His younger brother, Joakim, is a video game developer best known as the creator of Iconoclasts . [1] He attended Torpa School, where he met his future wife Lotta Losten when they were both around 11 years old, and they later attended Junedal School together. [2] [3] He grew up watching films and making his own films using his father's VHS-C camera. He worked in a video store as a teenager, where he saved up money to buy his own camcorder for filmmaking. [4] [5]

Career

Beginning with animation and documentaries (2006–2013)

In his late teens, Sandberg began working as an intern at Film i Jönköping, a local film center in Jönköping. He learned more about filmmaking from Svante Rosberg, the film commissioner who ran Film i Jönköping when he started, and whom Sandberg considers his mentor. [5] Starting in 2006, Sandberg found moderate online success making animated short films; according to Sandberg, his first online successes were his films För Barnen and Vad Tyst Det Blev, the latter of which garnered 1.7 million views on YouTube. As a result of his increased visibility, he began to receive offers for animation work; his first job was working as a consultant on the TV show Myggan  [ sv ] on the Swedish Channel 5. [6]

He continued working at Film i Jönköping, primarily working on documentary projects. From 2006 to 2009, he worked on several documentaries for the Swedish Inheritance Fund. [7] His last collaboration with Rosberg before his retirement was Animera = Göra Livlig, a 2010 documentary about senior citizens creating animated films. [8] In 2009, he moved to the city of Gothenburg. He continued working on animation and documentaries, and began collaborating with producer Claes Lundin. In 2011, they completed and sold an animated documentary series called Earth Savers, and in 2013, their documentary short Ladyboy premiered at Cinequest Film Festival. [4] [9]

Shifting to feature films (2013–present)

In 2013, he began to shift his focus away from animation and documentary works and towards short horror films. According to Sandberg, his original goal with filmmaking had been to make horror and sci-fi films, and he felt he needed to have some existing work in that field in order to get funding for future work. Lacking any funding of his own, his shorts were made with no budget: his equipment and props consisted mostly of items he already had or could buy very cheaply, and his only cast and crew were himself and Lotta Losten, his wife. He released his films on both Vimeo and YouTube, using his alias "ponysmasher". [5] He then released his second horror short, Lights Out (2013), which centered around a monster that only exists when the lights are turned out. [10] The film was a viral success, and quickly garnered millions of views. According to Sandberg, his life changed "in every way imaginable" after Lights Out; he began receiving tons of messages from film industry people who wanted to work with him. [11]

One of these contacts was Lawrence Grey, a producer who wanted to adapt Lights Out into a feature-length film. Grey brought screenwriter Eric Heisserer and producer James Wan on board to collaborate and produce a script with Sandberg, who would also direct the new feature. [12] The film (also titled Lights Out ) began production in mid-2015, and premiered at LA Film Festival in June 2016. The film was a massive box office success, grossing $148 million on a $5 million budget, [13] and a moderate critical success, earning a 76% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 58 out of 100 score on Metacritic. [14] [15] Sandberg next directed Annabelle: Creation , a prequel to supernatural horror film Annabelle and the fourth film in The Conjuring Universe. The film was released in 2017 to positive reviews and box office success. [16] [17] [18]

In 2019, Sandberg directed the DC Extended Universe superhero film Shazam! , based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The film received positive reviews. [19] In April 2019, TheWrap reported that Sandberg would direct a sequel for New Line Cinema called Shazam! Fury of the Gods . [20] [21] In 2023, after the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods , Sandberg stated he was "done" with the superhero genre and expressed a desire to return to horror. [22]

Sandberg is set to direct and produce the horror film The Culling with his wife Lotta Losten through their production company Mångata. The film will be distributed by Lionsgate. [23] He is set to direct the film adaptation of Cullen Bunn and Jack T. Cole's graphic novel The Unsound [24] and thriller Below, [25] both for Netflix. He is currently attached to direct and produce the 2025 film adaptation of the video game Until Dawn . [26]

Personal life

Sandberg met actress Lotta Losten in the early 1990s, when they were both around 11 years old, and they later began a relationship before marrying in 2013. She has featured in many of his short films, including Lights Out. [27] They have lived in Los Angeles since 2015. [28]

Sandberg was diagnosed with atypical autism as a child, but has since expressed an interest in the possibility that he was misdiagnosed. [29] [30] He has also been open about his struggles with depression. [31] [32]

Filmography

Film

Director

Uncredited acting roles

YearTitleRoleNotes
2019Shazam!Travis, Mister Mind, Crocodile-MenVoice role (as Travis and Mister Mind)
and performer (as the Crocodile-Men) [33] [34] [35]
2023Shazam! Fury of the GodsMister MindVoice role

Shorts

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerCinematographerEditorComposerActorNotes
2006Vad tyst det blev...YesYesYesNoYesYesYesRole: Boy (voice only)
Also sound department
2011Animera = Göra livligYesNoNoNoYesYesNoDocumentary short
2012The Drawing BoxYesYesYesNoNoNoYesRole: David/David's Brother
2013LadyboyYesNoNoYesYesYesNoDocumentary short
Cam CloserYesYesNoYesYesNoNo
Lights Out YesYesYesYesYesYesNo
2014PicturedYesYesNoYesYesYesNo
Not So FastYesYesNoYesYesNoYesRole: Man
CofferYesYesNoYesYesNoNo
See You SoonYesYesNoYesYesYesNo
2015Attic PanicYesYesYesYesYesYesYesRole: Ghost
2016Closet SpaceYesYesYesYesYesNoYesRole: David
2020ShadowedYesYesYesYesYesYesNo
Not Alone in HereYesYesYesYesYesYesNo
2023Cam Closer IIYesYesYesYesYesYesNo

Television

YearTitleDirectorComposerAnimatorNotes
2011Earth Savers6 episodes5 episodes2 episodesDocumentary series

Related Research Articles

Grace Caroline Currey is an American actress and dancer. She is best known for playing Mary Bromfield in the DC Extended Universe films Shazam! (2019) and its sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023). She starred in The Conjuring Universe film Annabelle: Creation (2017) and the survival thriller film Fall (2022).

<i>Kung Fury</i> 2015 featurette directed by David Sandberg

Kung Fury is a 2015 English-language Swedish martial arts comedy featurette film written and directed by David Sandberg. It pays homage to 1980s martial arts and police action films. The film stars Sandberg in the title role, Jorma Taccone, Leopold Nilsson, and a cameo appearance by David Hasselhoff.

<i>Annabelle</i> (film) 2014 film by John R. Leonetti

Annabelle is a 2014 American supernatural horror film directed by John R. Leonetti, written by Gary Dauberman and produced by Peter Safran and James Wan. It stars Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, and Alfre Woodard. Principal photography began in January 2014 in Los Angeles. It premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on September 29, 2014, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 3, 2014, by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.

<i>Shazam!</i> (film) 2019 DC Studios film

Shazam! is a 2019 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, the Safran Company, and Seven Bucks Productions, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the seventh installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). It was directed by David F. Sandberg from a screenplay by Henry Gayden who co-wrote the story with Darren Lemke, and stars Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Djimon Hounsou. The film follows teenager Billy Batson (Angel) as he is chosen by the ancient wizard Shazam (Hounsou) to be his new champion by saying the name "Shazam", allowing him to transform into an adult superhero (Levi) with various superpowers. Billy and his foster brother Freddy Freeman (Grazer) must discover Billy's new powers in order to stop the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong) and the Seven Deadly Sins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annabelle (doll)</span> Haunted doll and fictional character

Annabelle is an allegedly-haunted Raggedy Ann doll, housed in the now closed occult museum of the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Annabelle was moved there after supposed hauntings in 1970. A supposed character based on the doll is one of the antagonists that appear in The Conjuring Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Extended Universe</span> 2013–2023 superhero media franchise

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The DCEU also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games. Like the original DC Universe in comic books, the DCEU is established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.

<i>Lights Out</i> (2016 film) Film by David F. Sandberg

Lights Out is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Eric Heisserer, who based the screenplay on Sandberg's 2013 short film of the same name. It follows a woman who must protect her young half-brother against a spirit from her family's past that kills its victims in the dark. The film stars Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Billy Burke, and Maria Bello. It also features Sandberg's wife Lotta Losten, who starred in the short film.

<i>Annabelle: Creation</i> 2017 American supernatural horror film

Annabelle: Creation is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by David F. Sandberg, written by Gary Dauberman and produced by Peter Safran and James Wan. It is a prequel to 2014's Annabelle and the fourth installment in The Conjuring Universe franchise. The film stars Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, Lulu Wilson, Anthony LaPaglia, and Miranda Otto, and depicts the possessed Annabelle doll's origin.

<i>The Conjuring</i> Universe American horror media franchise

The Conjuring Universe is an American horror franchise and shared universe centered on a series of supernatural horror films. The franchise is produced by New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The films present a dramatization of the supposed real-life adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent yet controversial cases of haunting. The main series follows their attempts to assist people who find themselves harassed by spirits, while the spin-off films focus on the origins of some of the entities the Warrens have encountered.

Lawrence Grey is a Canadian-American film and television producer.

<i>Lights Out</i> (2013 film) 2013 Swedish film

Lights Out is a 2013 Swedish supernatural horror short film directed, written, produced, shot, and scored by David F. Sandberg and starring Sandberg's wife Lotta Losten. The film was released online on 30 December 2013 on both Vimeo and YouTube. The short film was the basis of an eponymous 2016 film adaptation, also directed by Sandberg.

Lotta Losten is a Swedish actress, designer, and photographer. She is best known for her collaborations with her husband David F. Sandberg, including the 2013 short film Lights Out, the 2016 feature film adaptation of the same name, and Shazam!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Dylan Grazer</span> American actor (born 2003)

Jack Dylan Grazer is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the horror film It (2017) and its 2019 sequel, the DC Extended Universe superhero film Shazam! (2019) and its 2023 sequel, and for his voice role in the Pixar animated film Luca (2021).

Benjamin Mark Lasker Wallfisch is a British composer, conductor, and producer—known for his work on film scores. He has contributed to over 50 feature films since the mid-2000s, including notable works like Blade Runner 2049, Shazam!, It, It Chapter Two, The Invisible Man, Hidden Figures, A Cure for Wellness, The Flash, Twisters, Alien: Romulus, and Kraven the Hunter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Chaves</span> American filmmaker

Michael Chaves is an American filmmaker and visual effects artist. He is best known for directing the horror films The Curse of La Llorona (2019), The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), and The Nun II (2023).

<i>Shazam!</i> (soundtrack) 2019 soundtrack album by Benjamin Wallfisch

Shazam!: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the film of the same name composed by Benjamin Wallfisch. It was released on April 5, 2019 by WaterTower Music with the physical edition being released later on May 10.

<i>Shazam! Fury of the Gods</i> 2023 DC Films film

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC character Shazam. Produced by New Line Cinema, DC Films, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the sequel to Shazam! (2019) and the 12th installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, it stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Grace Caroline Currey, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, and Helen Mirren. In the film, Billy Batson / Shazam and his foster siblings fight the Daughters of Atlas.

Henry Gayden is an American screenwriter, best known for writing the films Earth to Echo (2014), Shazam! (2019) and There's Someone Inside Your House (2021).

<i>Shazam! Fury of the Gods</i> (soundtrack) 2023 film score by Christophe Beck

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the score album composed by Christophe Beck, to the 2023 film of the same name, the sequel to Shazam! (2019) and the 12th installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The album featured 28 tracks and was released on March 10, 2023 by WaterTower Music.

References

  1. ↑ Sandberg, Joakim [@konjak] (January 23, 2018). "ICONOCLASTS is now available on PC and Playstation 4/Vita!! $20, 20€, £18, JP¥2000 (NA Playstation a bit later today) I hope you enjoy my mix of things I've loved as a youngster, coming together in this narrative-driven action adventure game! Love y'all. https://t.co/9H3R0jTRB6" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Twitter.
  2. ↑ "About". David F. Sandberg. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  3. ↑ Shazam! Fury of the Gods - Trailer Trivia. ponysmasher. July 24, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via YouTube.
  4. 1 2 "10 things you may not know about David F Sandberg". Warner Bros. UK. Warner Bros. July 21, 2016. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Sandberg, David F. "More than you ever wanted to know about David F. Sandberg". dauid.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  6. ↑ Astfors, Nicklas (December 20, 2011). "Vad Tyst Det Blev - Långfilmen". MrFilm (in Swedish). Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Filmproduktion" (in Swedish). Region Jönköpings län. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Animera=göra livlig (2010)". Swedish Film Database (in Swedish). Swedish Film Institute . Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Ladyboy". Cinequest. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  10. ↑ Slotek, Jim (July 21, 2016). "'Lights Out': David F. Sandberg goes from YouTube to Hollywood". Toronto Sun. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  11. ↑ Thompson, Simon (July 21, 2016). "'Lights Out' Director David F. Sandberg Talks Going From Zero To $5 Million Budgets And His Hollywood Horror Story". Forbes. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  12. ↑ Zeitchik, Steven (June 8, 2016). "How David Sandberg turned a viral-short sensation into a horror feature with 'Lights Out'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Lights Out (2016)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Lights Out (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Lights Out Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Annabelle: Creation Is a Potent Prequel" . Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  17. ↑ Kit, Borys (July 21, 2016). "How New Line Cinema Is Making a Killing in Horror". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  18. ↑ Walker, Kristine (July 2, 2016). "'Annabelle 2' Release Date, Latest News & Updates: 'Annabelle' Sequel Bringing More Evil Dolls To Haunt Orphans? Instagram Photos Hint Start Of Filming". Parent Herald. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  19. ↑ Kit, Borys (July 2, 2016). "'Shazam!' Is Next DC Movie to Shoot (Exclusive)". Hollywoodreporter. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  20. ↑ Gonzalez, Umberto (April 8, 2019). "'Shazam!' Writer Henry Gayden Will Return to Write Sequel (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  21. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (August 22, 2020). "'Shazam!': Zachary Levi And Cast Reveal Title Of Sequel, Remain Tight-Lipped On Details – DC FanDome". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  22. ↑ "David F. Sandberg Stepping Back From Superhero Genre After 'Shazam!' Sequel".
  23. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 22, 2020). "Lionsgate Lands Horror Spec 'The Culling' For 'Shazam!'s David F. Sandberg To Direct". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  24. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 7, 2019). "Netflix Wins Horror Package 'The Unsound' From 'Shazam!' Helmer David F. Sandberg, BOOM! Studios & Skylar James". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  25. ↑ Kroll, Justin. "Netflix Lands Greg Weidman and Geoff Tock Spec 'Below' With 'Shazam!'s David F. Sandberg Directing". Deadline Hollywood.
  26. ↑ Kroll, Justin (June 14, 2024). "'Until Dawn' Movie At Screen Gems And PlayStation Studios Sets Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo And Odessa A'zion To Star". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  27. ↑ Mintchell, Fredrick (July 22, 2016). "Lights Out's David F. Sandberg and Lotta Losten are living their own Hollywood rags to riches story". World Tech Today. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
  28. ↑ Sandberg, David F. (February 25, 2016). "The Making of Closet Space". Vimeo . Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Shazam! Director David F. Sandberg Has Uplifting Message For Aspiring Filmmakers". ScreenRant. January 3, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  30. ↑ Can You Be An Introvert Director?. ponysmasher. January 3, 2021. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via YouTube.
  31. ↑ "Lights Out director David Sandberg defends the ending of his horror hit". The A.V. Club . July 30, 2016.
  32. ↑ "A Conversation with David F. Sandberg About Creativity in Filmmaking". February 9, 2022.
  33. ↑ Sandberg, David F. [@ponysmasher] (April 2, 2020). "Travis, the asshole boyfriend, is played by yours truly. #QuarantineWatchParty #Shazam" (Tweet). Retrieved April 3, 2020– via Twitter.
  34. ↑ Patches, Matt; Polo, Susana (April 5, 2019). "Shazam director reveals the voice behind his post-credits scene tease". Polygon . Vox Media . Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  35. ↑ Sandberg, David F. [@ponysmasher] (April 2, 2020). "I played all three crocodile men. It was extremely uncomfortable . #QuarantineWatchParty #Shazam https://t.co/nZGW0Az23y" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2023– via Twitter.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.