Below: David F. Sandberg to direct thriller for James Wan and Netflix

Six years ago, director David F. Sandberg made his feature directorial debut with the horror film Lights Out, which was produced by James Wan and based on a short Sandberg had made a few years earlier. Before Lights Out was released, Wan had already hired Sandberg to direct Annabelle: Creation. After going off into superhero territory for Shazam! and the upcoming Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, Sandberg is now ready to work on darker material again – and he’s re-teaming with Wan to do it. Deadline reports that Sandberg has signed on to direct the thriller Below, with Wan producing.

Netflix came out the winner for the Below rights with a bid that’s said to be in the low-seven-figures range, beating out a half dozen other streamers and studios that were interested in the project.

The screenplay for Below was written by Gregory Weidman and Geoffrey Tock (In the Shadow of the Moon)… and as of right now, details are being kept under wraps. All we know is that it’s a thriller story. But that, combined with the involvement of Sandberg and Wan, is enough to hold our attention for the time being.

Wan and Michael Clear are producing the film through their Atomic Monster banner, with Sandberg and Lotta Losten producing for Mangata and Roy Lee producing for Vertigo.

Is the idea of Sandberg and Wan teaming up again to make a thriller enough to get you interested in Below? Were you a fan of either of their previous collaborations, Lights Out or Annabelle: Creation? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

I really enjoyed Lights Out and thought Annabelle: Creation was a substantial step up from its predecessor. I also had a good time watching Shazam! So I’m a fan of Sandberg’s work and look forward to finding out more about this new project.