Until Dawn: The Film will be released on April 25, 2025, thanks to Sony Pictures (Bloody Disgusting). As fans of the first-person interactive survival horror video game look forward to the film version of the game, they should expect a lot of variance from the actual game (Reddit). Here we provide information on adaptation such as filming, the origin of the game, and Rami Malek.
Official Announcement
Sony Pictures, and PlayStation Productions made the official announcement that Turi’s film would be released on April 25, 2025 (IMDb). Surprisingly, actual plot of the game will not be included in the movie, the movie will feature a brand new story and characters thus enriching, rather than replicating a world of Until Dawn (Engadget). A first-look video provides a preview of the look of the film and hints at its gimmicky time loop premise (Newsweek).
Adaptation Details
Instead of game’s Butterfly Effect mechanic, the movie adapts a time loop concept. The characters that die are brought back to the same day, every night, and face different horrible situation each time (Push Square). With this approach, we get the essence of the choosing the path gameplay while translating it to a more traditional view.
Cultural Elements and Symbolism
Conclusion:
The things like “totems” and “butterflies” we have seen form the game will also appear in the movie. These are pieces of Native American mythology that depict fate and forebodings or premonition (Screen Rant). Their presence will support the movie’s link to the source material, that is the game.
Production and Direction
David F. Sandberg, known for Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, is directed by Clay Staub, and written by Gary Dauberman, known for It and Blair Butler, who is a Wikipedia writer. This makes Sandberg to be the most appropriate person for the job due to his venture in the production of horror films.
Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A’zion Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli and Maia Mitchell is among the cast of the show. The only actor who returns is Peter Stormare as Dr Hill from the game (Game Rant). Shooting took place in Budapest Hungary from Aug 5th to October 4th, 2024 (TheGamer).
Music and Production
The film has music by Benjamin Wallfisch who previously worked in It and Blade Runner 2049. Production was done by Screen Gems, PlayStation Productions and Vertigo Entertainment according to information just found on Wikipedia.
Inspiration and Native American Folklore
As with most horror-themed games it was inspired by other movies such as Evil Dead II and Poltergeist, the elements of suspense and narrow atmosphere as well as humor (Wikipedia).
Survival Horror Games:
Interactive movies like Heavy Rain, Resident Evil and Silent Hill were taken as model to that provided the narrative and the atmosphere of Until Dawn (Screen Rant).
Native American Folklore:
Applying the Wendigo legend and symbolic items was helpful for the depth and cultural aspect of the game (Reddit).
Rami Malek’s Role
The actor who participated in the show and whose character was embodied in the game named Josh, Rami Malek, will not play in the film (Screen Rant). The new story introduces new characters and this fits well with the directors’ intention.
Conclusion
To elaborate this further, the Until Dawn movie must be looked at in terms of how it adapts or diverges from the possibilities the game presented, and how it uses suspense.
Mia Trevino (She/Her) is a Records Administrator at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP. A proud Humble High School alumna from Texas, she excels in managing organizational records with precision and dedication.
