This story comes from Den of Geek UK.

As more and more comic book movies arrive in cinemas, it’s become easier to observe emerging trends. A particularly interesting one of late is the growing number of horror directors being headhunted for them. As well as Neil Marshall following Guillermo del Toro by making this week’s Hellboy reboot, last week’s big release Shazam! comes from director David F. Sandberg.

Sandberg’s previous films include Lights Out, a ghost story that evolved out of his short film about depression, and the surprisingly good Conjuring prequel/sequel Annabelle: Creation. On the surface, his latest is nothing like either of his previous films and yet in other ways, it is.

As delightful as Shazam! turned out to be, there’s still a ring of Sandberg’s genre background to the first act and arguably throughout the film too. From the opening prologue, which takes in a horrific car accident and some proper old-school monsters who dwell in shadowy catacombs, to the nod to Annabelle sitting on a pawn shop shelf, this isn’t Sandberg shaking off his previous style. Nor should it be.