Sony has offered a glimpse into its upcoming Until Dawn movie, an adaptation of Supermassive Games’ popular interactive horror title. Instead of a traditional trailer, Sony opted for a behind-the-scenes look featuring the film’s director, David F. Sandberg (known for Lights Out and Shazam!), and writer, who discussed their vision for the project.
A key takeaway is that the Until Dawn movie isn’t a direct retelling of the game’s story. It features a fresh narrative with new characters, while aiming to capture the original’s atmosphere and expand upon its universe. Sandberg emphasized that the film maintains the game’s tone and vibe.
One of the most intriguing aspects is how the film will incorporate the game’s core mechanic of player choice and consequence. In the game, player decisions directly influence character survival, often leading to gruesome outcomes. The movie aims to replicate this by having characters essentially “reset” after catastrophic events, getting another chance at survival. Sandberg described this as each “resurrection” placing them in a different horror subgenre, adding an element of surprise and variety. Their ultimate goal remains the same: to survive until dawn.
This “reset” mechanic draws some parallels to the movie Happy Death Day, where the protagonist relives the same day repeatedly until she identifies her killer. While the core premise of repeated attempts at survival is similar, Until Dawn distinguishes itself by shifting the horror genre with each reset and focusing on a group of characters facing supernatural threats.
The film’s approach to adapting a video game’s interactive elements is certainly innovative. By allowing characters to “try again,” the movie attempts to recreate the player’s experience of replaying sections of the game to achieve different outcomes.
Until Dawn is scheduled for release on April 25th, with a full trailer expected soon. Fans can also experience the recently released remake of the original Until Dawn game, available on PlayStation 5 and PC, to prepare for the film’s unique take on the horror experience.
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