Shazam! Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg makes an honest admission as he claims he knew the anticipated DCU sequel would fail to meet expectations.
On Reddit, Sandberg responded to a comment on a post about Fury of the Gods' underwhelming early box-office returns following its Mar. 17 release. The helmer of the Shazam! sequel revealed he saw the disappointing results coming from a mile away. "It’s not like this comes as a surprise. I saw where this was heading a long time ago," he said. "I’ll be alright though. I got paid all my money upfront."
Shazam! Fury of the Gods' Box Office Debut
Sandberg's upfront quips come after reports surfaced that Fury of the Gods grossed $30 million at the box office in the U.S. and Canada. The figure not only fell below initial domestic projections of $35 million, but it was also far less than what Shazam!, which premiered in 2019, earned in ticket sales with a $53.5 million opening. That means Fury of the Gods opening raked in 44% less than its predecessor.
There were signs before Fury of the Gods made its theatrical premiere that it would struggle to garner the success Shazam! enjoyed. For one, early reviews of Fury of the Gods were mixed at best, with some critics saying it was devoid of intrigue and lacked punch with its storytelling. Additionally, there were rumors of DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn adding scenes, as well as major reshoots taking place after he and Peter Safran took over the studio last October, though Sandberg denied these claims. Currently, Fury of the Gods boasts a 54% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, though it also has a much more respectable 85% audience score on the review aggregator website.
Shazam 2 Social Media Blowback
Fury of the Gods also had to deal with negative press surrounding star Zachary Levi after social media activity from the actor landed him in hot water. He blasted pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer in a tweet in January, though it wasn't clear if his comments were against their vaccine or about something else. Additionally, he reposted a satirical article in his Instagram story that appeared to mock pop legend Britney Spears' conservatorship fight, which drew condemnations from corners of social media.
Levi stars in Fury of the Gods alongside an ensemble consisting of Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Rachel Zegler, Meagan Good, Faithe Herman and more. The film sees Levi and the Shazamily take on the Daughters of Atlas (Mirren, Liu and Zegler) as they invade Earth looking to reclaim magic stolen from long ago while threatening to use a weapon that could destroy Earth.
Fans can catch Shazam! Fury of the Gods in theaters now.
Source: Reddit