MOVIE NEWS – The Until Dawn video game adaptation has an official release date and a very ambitious goal…

Sony Pictures has announced the release date for the film adaptation of Until Dawn. Until Dawn is based on the 2015 PlayStation-exclusive horror game of the same name. It follows eight friends who survive the night in a remote mountain retreat while being hunted by a mysterious killer. The feature film directed by David F. Sandberg will hit theatres next spring, on April 25, 2025.

The dramatic horror game was originally developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players control eight young adults as they explore Blackwood Mountain and fight for survival. The game was highly praised for its characters’ juicy teen drama stories, stunning graphics, and immersive environments. Fans loved the unique “butterfly effect” in the game. That is, our decisions as players actually change the possible ending of the story. Depending on the choices you make, all playable characters can die or survive the game. Rolling Stone called Until Dawn “the peak of choose your own adventure horror”.

In 2024, Ballistic Moon took over Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn, but the new remake received mixed reviews. (For example, we liked it; here you can read about why.) Although it offered new features, including a new ending, additional scenes that connect loose threads, and other improvements, some fans felt that the remake was unnecessary. Audiences seem to be more receptive to news of a movie adaptation, especially considering the big names attached to the project.

Until Dawn should be “the Scream of video game movies”

David F. Sandberg, known for Lights Out, Annabelle 2 and Shazam!, directed the upcoming video game adaptation. Meanwhile, horror legend Gary Dauberman (It, Annabelle) wrote the latest version of the script. The original script was written by Blair Butler, who also wrote 2022’s The Invitation. It is produced by PlayStation Productions, behind HBO’s The Last of Us and Sony’s 2022 Uncharted.

Until Dawn continues the recent trend, right after Amazon gave another boost to video game adaptations this year with the success of Fallout.

Until Dawn is rated R and, like its source material, is reportedly looking to make a big splash in the horror genre. The game may refer to many horror films and video games. It will be interesting to see how the filmmakers incorporate the game’s signature interactive narrative feature into the film’s story. According to the director’s previous statements, their goal is to surpass the game in all respects, and to make the film version “even scarier”…

The film stars Ella Rubin and Michael Cimino, and the supporting cast includes Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Odessa A’zion, Maia Mitchell and Peter Stormare. It is interesting that Stormare previously voiced one of the characters in the original game. It has not yet been revealed which characters they will play. It is also questionable what ending the writers chose for the film. Surprisingly, the video game cast included many well-known Hollywood actors such as Hayden Panettiere and Rami Malek. However, only one actor was confirmed to have transitioned from the video game to the live-action version.

Source: Rolling Stone, THR