David F. Sandberg has become a very hot director in the last half decade with hits in both the horror and superhero genres. Now, reported exclusively by Deadline, the director has found his next project. Sandberg will be directing the Netflix film Below from a screenplay by Greg Weidman and Geoff Tock. Netflix won the project in a highly competitive auction.
Not much is known about the film, but it has been described as a genre thriller. Horror icon James Wan and Michael Clear will produce Below through their Atomic Monster production banner. Sandberg will also be producing the project with Lotta Losten for Mangata and Roy Lee for Vertigo. This is exciting news because this means that Wan will be reuniting with Sandberg. Sandberg previously directed the highly underrated Annabelle: Creation for Wan and New Line Cinema in 2017. This of course was a film set in the highly popular Conjuring universe and the sequel to the 2014 spinoff film Annabelle. From there, Sandberg was quickly brought on to direct the DC Comics film Shazam! for New Line and he also directed its sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods which is set to release this December.
The original Shazam! was praised by both critics and fans alike for its great emotional heart and well-balanced humor. However, since Below is a thriller, Sandberg’s horror resume should be the main reason genre fans should get excited about this upcoming film. Besides the director breathing new life into the Annabelle franchise, Sandberg’s 2016 horror film Lights Out captured the hearts of many horror fans. That was a genre film Wan also produced. Sandberg has a great sense for atmosphere and tone which is always key for a thriller no matter if it is in the horror genre or not. Also, Weidman and Tock have experience in the genre as they wrote another underrated thriller for Netflix titled In the Shadow of the Moon in 2019.
Atomic Monster has produced a lot of great genre content in the past like The Conjuring 2, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and Malignant. While Netflix does not have the best track record in either the horror or thriller genre, the pieces are here to make this a memorable film for the streamer. What adds to that potential is the fact that this was a hotly sought after project with a reported dozen studios and streamers in the mix for the film.
Now that Sandberg is set as the director we are sure to hear more news on Below soon, including casting news and a release window for the film.