This is the trick with doing an adaptation of a multi-path adventure.
You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.I don't think they'll do anything gimmicky like that, unfortunately.
Hollywood these days will just straight adapt it. And Until Dawn is a work that I don't think will benefit from the jump in medium. It's already so steeped in cinematic language and expression that, among horror films, it's just another slasher. Not to mention the obvious implications of a linear film removing the dynamic choice-reaction flow of the story.
Meanwhile, as a game, Until Dawn stands out in it's approach to horror. A game that feels like a slasher movie in the way Until Dawn does is completely different among horror games like Alien Isolation, FNAF, or Resident Evil. Until Dawn really works as a video game because what it does is unique to the medium.
Also, they're definitely going to kill people off. No one dying in a horror slasher movie? Lame. Tension killer. No one dying in a choice-consequence horror-slasher video game? Still tense because no one died only because the audience actively participated in creating that circumstance.
Video games are a very unique medium in that experience of tension and stakes.
Deadline just announced the casting for the Until Dawn movie. This is happening faster than I expected it to.
You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.Bump: Hollywood Reporter has more casting news for the movie, including the return of Peter Stomare.
You’re Gonna Carry That Weight."And Until Dawn is a work that I don't think will benefit from the jump in medium. It's already so steeped in cinematic language and expression that, among horror films, it's just another slasher. Not to mention the obvious implications of a linear film removing the dynamic choice-reaction flow of the story."
"the reason people love the game isn't something that the film can adapt."
Going to quote this from now on. People never get why I don't like every single video game with a decent plot getting adapted to film.
Edited by FOFD on Aug 1st 2024 at 9:16:46 AM
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Eh. I do think there are SOME games that are acceptable targets for adaptation- that their audience interactivity doesn't inherently interweave with the narrative in the way Until Dawn does. Like, the question Until Dawn asks as an interactive experience ("How well will you survive in a horror slasher film?") isn't the same as, say, Legend of Zelda.
And, well, due to the medium of games often expressing gameplay above all else and sometimes in sacrifice of narrative, I do see some stories where "Damn, I wish we paused and really asked what the characters were feeling in this tragedy and we could develop some themes or concepts".
A film, having more of an option to weigh into narrative more, can have characters pause and reflect for 2-5 mins of screen time that games are very reluctant to do.
And that's not even getting into spiritual adaptations either- Like, with Legend of Zelda and it's theme of cycles and each game not carrying over too heavily from the previous (or so is my understanding), that franchise would be perfect to distill and adapt the franchise to the medium in it's own Lo Z story rather than adapting any one game.
Not to mention, direct adaptation- you're going to have fans that will be upset about "You adapted out x"... and sometimes they might be right. ESPECIALLY in a choice based game- if you choose the "most popular" choices, you might be choosing the least interesting outcomes for a horror story. Or, alternatively... I do genuinely think the game writers didn't know what to do with Matt and it falls into some level of racism for me- a film can fix that but what they fix it with could also fuck up other things.
I realize I'm rambling a bit now- I don't have an exact point to UD at this point as "spiritually adapting" Until Dawn would just be "Make a slasher film". My point is a film seems easy, short-sighted, and a bit lazy. At best, it'll be a decent slasher. But we could have gotten that without the property anyway.
I call bullshit on that above quote.
Until Dawn is not just another slasher, it's an EXCEPTIONAL slasher with a good twist.
Like a Nightmare on Elm Street, it actually has a relevant plot.
At least until the monsters show up.
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.Until Dawn is basically From Dusk Til Dawn, but with a slasher movie becoming a monster movie instead of a crime drama becoming a... monster movie.
I'm a little curious in what an adaption will do. Maybe they'll try and find a way to incorporate the whole Butterfly Effect thing even in a movie? Maybe they'll pull a Clue and have alternate endings. Or maybe they'll drop that angle and just adapt it one way.
Movie! Do the "Jessica Survives" route!
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The game is an exceptionally good slasher- yes. I agree. But as a movie, I don't think it's anything particularly special. And that can absolutely be ok- I really don't like the narrative that all films ever made must be "exceptional". There is merit to just having a good adventure romp, telling your story, and bowing for the curtain call. I think that's why films like The Mummy are really good.
My point is as an adaptation of a property. Anything that an Until Dawn adaptation could achieve in popularity and success could be equally achieved by any slasher, rather than specifically adapting this game. And, again, it will lose the big selling point that the game made successful.
Not unless they like do some bizarre gimmick where they film variations of the plot with different outcomes? A la Clue? That could be interesting and, honestly, probably not that much more expensive than you'd think. Distribution would be the problem but you could do it.
For me, the biggest problem of adapting Until Dawn is that its cast was fantastic and won't obviously be involved with the exception of Peter Stormare. Obviously, that's impossible for several reasons but it was the acting that helped elevate the original.
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.A graphics comparison for the remaster:
Opening a draft for the movie: Sandbox.Until Dawn Movie
Edited by BigBadShadow25 on Aug 14th 2024 at 9:37:14 AM
You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.It looks like they've done a little more than just port it, but also re-did some scenes with new camera angles and cleaner animations. A lot of things look different and I think for the better.
It also looks like they've moved away from nearly entirely fixed angles and instead have allowed more moments of third-person over the shoulder. And I actually am fine with that- I think there are a lot of moments where you could get a bit disoriented in the game with where you are because of the fixed angles.
It looks great. I really can't wait to finally get my hands on it on PC. I also wonder what things we might find in the code that we were unable to find due to the console lock.
I’m about to play the updated game.
Also, they finished filming the movie:
Bumping. Deadline has announced the movie’s release date as April 25.
https://deadline.com/2024/10/until-dawn-sony-screen-gems-release-david-f-sandberg-1236116823/
Opening the draft: Sandbox.Until Dawn 2025
You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.Double bump: we have a sneak peak with a first look of footage at the film.
I’m making the page: Film.Until Dawn 2025
You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.

I wonder what route they will take with this. The most boring route would definitely be everyone living but Josh, but I hope some people die in the climax.
The legend has returned.