Until Dawn joins the growing list of video games getting Hollywood treatment

A PlayStation horror classic is being reborn as a film. The choose-your-own-nightmare from Supermassive Games, Until Dawn, is one of the latest video games announced to make the jump from your living room TV to the big screen, though this one seems far more straightforward.

According to Hollywood Reporter, PlayStation Productions and Screen Gems are adapting 2015’s Until Dawn with director David F. Sandburg and writer Gary Dauberman. The original tale revolved around eight teens surviving a fear-filled hell in the middle of a wintry retreat, entrusting their fate with the player.

The film doesn’t have a release date or casting yet. Hollywood Reporter notes Screen Gems describes the apparent R-rated adaptation as a love letter to the horror genre and centers its ensemble cast. No details on Until Dawn‘s story have been revealed yet, either. It’s safe to say there’s a clear-cut formula there for a film to follow, but perhaps Hollywood has a few tricks in store for a proper homage to Until Dawn’s interactivity.

Cabin in the (Wintry) Woods

For those who don’t know, Until Dawn, released in 2015 by Supermassive Games, is an interactive horror where your actions have dire consequences. The title, which came out during an onslaught of choice-heavy games like Telltale’s The Walking Dead and Dragon Age: Inquisition, was a hit for players. The vast ways events can play out, terrifying jumpscares, and great cast (including now Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek) made it a staple of the PlayStation 4. 

Fast forward to now, almost nine years since its release, it re-emerges thanks to PlayStation and Screen Gems. As previously mentioned, the film already has a director and writer attached. In the director’s chair is David F. Sandburg, who is most known for his Shazam films for DC.

David started in horror, directing Annabelle: Creation and Lights Out alongside writer Gary Dauberman. Gary is pretty big with horror, writing many of The Conjuring spin-off films like Annabelle and The Nun, as well as both It and It: Chapter Two. The script comes from a pass by Blair Butler (The Invitation).

Personally, the many lets-plays of Until Dawn (looking at you, Markiplier) convinced me to rent the game. It only took me some 30 minutes in to bail, thanks to the choice overload, so maybe watching someone else lead the way is more my speed. Therefore, I am curious to see what David, Gary, and the crew behind this new adaptation have in store. With the many game adaptations in the works right now, it’s good to have some idea of where it’ll go.

My biggest wish is for a killer cast, pun intended. Put some fresh and familiar horror actors in there and you’ll have yourself a real strong horror film. And turn up the campiness. If it’s going to be a love letter, you have to embrace the nostalgia and run with it. However, do be wary of branches. That’s a QTE.

Michael Murphy

Freelance Writer - A lifelong gamer and writer, as of 2023, Michael can now say he writes about video games for a living. He likes to write about the newest AAA titles, RPGs, action-adventures, adaptations, and narrative-driven games.

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