Sony Pictures brings horror game Until Dawn to the big screen

On January 14, 2025, Sony Pictures unveiled details about their upcoming film adaptation of the 2015 interactive horror video game titled 'Until Dawn'. Gary Dauberman, recognized as one of the film's writers and producers, expressed his enthusiasm for the original game, which featured prominent voice talents including Rami Malek, Hayden Panettiere, and Jordan Fisher. The game was notable for its unique mechanics allowing players to make choices that could lead to different character outcomes, a feature that is also being incorporated into the film but with an innovative twist. In a featurette released alongside the announcement, Dauberman and director David Sandberg elaborated on how the narrative of the movie will expand on the premise established in the game. Sandberg highlighted the film's narrative strategy, indicating that after each character's death, there will be a reset, allowing characters to relive their evening with a different scenario each time. This revitalization of the story enables varied explorations of different horror genres as characters face repeated threats. The film focuses on a character named Clover, played by Ella Rubin, who, alongside her friends, embarks on a mission to find her missing sister, Melanie, portrayed by Maia Mitchell, following her mysterious disappearance a year prior. As they venture into the isolated valley where Melanie disappeared, they soon realize a murderer is stalking them. Unlike the original game, the narrative dictates that for every character that dies, the timeline restarts, leading to an intense race against time as the group comes to the grim realization of their limited chances to survive. While the film adaptation does not yet have a confirmed release date, it features a cast that also includes Michael Cimino, Odessa A'zion, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, and Peter Stormare. An anticipated trailer is expected to be released soon, catering to fans eager to see how the beloved game translates to film. The involvement of Supermassive Games, the developers behind the original game and others like 'The Quarry' and 'The Dark Pictures Anthology', highlights an ongoing trend of video game adaptations seeking to engage with their existing fanbase while exploring new narrative avenues in cinematic form.