Summary
- The Until Dawn film is a sequel to the game, not a retelling, in the same universe.
- Directors defend changes, noting that the film can be enjoyed without playing the game.
- Potential for film to bridge to future game sequels, teasing connections and continuation.
Sony’s upcoming film adaptation of their beloved horror franchise Until Dawn has been hotly anticipated, but not all fans have been convinced that it’s faithful enough to the source material.
Like the game, Until Dawn follows a group of teens arriving at a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness, though viewers were quick to note the drastically different characters and monsters featured in the trailer. Despite some familiar iconography, the film appears to be following a largely different story and premise from the game.
The Until Dawn Movie Would Have Been Worse As A Straight Adaptation
There's actually some pretty good reasons why the Until Dawn movie needs to be a stand alone story and not based on the game.
Interacting with fans in a recent Reddit AMA, director David F. Sandberg and writer/producer Gary Dauberman addressed some Until Dawn fans' concerns while also teasing new details about the upcoming movie. Sandberg implied that the film is not a straightforward adaptation of the game’s narrative, but rather an in-universe follow-up: “The movie is kind of a sequel to the game. That's why it's not the same story”.
Responding to another question asking, “Why does this movie have absolutely nothing to do with the game?”, Sandberg addressed the issue head-on:
“It's in the same universe as the game. You could say it's a sequel, but it's a sequel you don't have to have played the game to enjoy. But for people who have, there are connections to the game. The game was already so much like a movie that I thought this was the more interesting way to go. This way you get more Until Dawn instead of a cut down, re-cast copy of what was already done”.
Another user asked, “Why deviate so far from the original game when movies that stick to the source material have been the ones that have been far more successful critically and financially?”. Dauberman tackled this comment, saying, “I disagree with your premise… we looked at the game as part of the horror franchise and not separate from it”.
The Creative Team Behind Until Dawn Is Hoping For More Installments In The Franchise
Dauberman and Sandberg also teased the potential of a sequel game, hoping that their film could serve as a bridge of sorts to new stories set in the universe, with Dauberman stating, “I’d love to see some of these villains pop up in a future game.” He went on to elaborate on Sandberg’s comments separately, saying, “The game you played is Part 1, the movie is Part 2, if they make another game (please please please) that would be part 3… Ideally it’d be Hill that bridges them all together”, continued Dauberman.
The mysterious Dr. Hill is the only common character between the game and movie to be revealed so far, to be portrayed once again by Peter Stormare. Dauberman confirmed that his character is “the same Dr. Hill from the game” and that his role will be “just as crucial as it was” there, hinting that he will once again have some insight or control over how the story unfolds. While it’s unclear if the film will exist in the same continuity as the game or which of the game’s many different endings would be canon, the film still promises to deliver plenty of references and Easter eggs for eagle-eyed fans.
The director also revealed that the three films that most inspired his vision for Until Dawn were The Descent, Evil Dead, and Halloween. Sandberg is no stranger to the horror genre or big franchise sequels, having helmed films ranging from Annabelle: Creation to Shazam! And its sequel. As well as collaborating with Sandberg on the Annabelle series, Dauberman’s screenwriting credits include It and 2019’s Swamp Thing series. The Until Dawn movie comes at a time when the video game adaptation ‘curse’ appears to have been broken, so fans will be keen to find out if Sony’s winning streak can continue from the hotly-anticipated second season of The Last of Us.
Until Dawn releases on April 25th in theatres. Whilst there have been rumors stirring of a long-awaited sequel to the original game, in the meantime, fans can experience the first part of the story through the recently released remaster on PS5 and PC.