Summary
Until Dawncemented itself as one of the scariest horror games when it came out back in 2015. Its choice-based gameplay gave players the power to dictate the characters' fates in the game, which, a lot of times, ended in brutal deaths. ThisdifferentiatedUntil Dawnfrom other horror gamesat the time, as it gave players an immersive cinematic experience. It also helped that the game featured well-known actors, like Hayden Panettiere and Rami Malek.
Nearly a decade afterUntil Dawnreleased, Supermassive and Sony announced that a movie adaptation of the interactive horror game will be made by Screen Gems and PlayStation Productions. The film isn’t in production yet, but fans are already campaigning for theoriginalUntil Dawncast to reprise their rolesand have high expectations about how director David F. Sandberg will translate the video game’s story to the big screen. TheUntil Dawnmovie also has the unique opportunity to include the game’s best feature.
A Choice-Based Feature Could Work in The Until Dawn Adaptation
Until Dawnthe game has a diverse cast of charactersthat showcased different personalities that players could love and hate. Many players become invested in these characters' stories as they try their best to survive until the end. At the same time, this also gives them a reason to replay the game to get all the endings – even if it means killing everyone. The interactivity ofUntil Dawnis what made fans hooked on the game, and the movie could follow suit to stand out from the sea of horror movies.
Interactive films are an innovative way to get viewers involved in the story, which was also the main selling point ofUntil Dawnthe video game. They have been around for decades; the 1961 filmMr. Sardonicuspioneered an early version of the style by letting viewers vote on the ending. This style picked up speed whenBlack Mirror: Bandersnatchcame out in 2018, which let Netflix viewers choose the fate of young programmer Stefan Butler. Even popular content creator Markiplier dabbled in creating choice-based short films on his YouTube channel.
If Sandberg and his team decide to take this route for theUntil Dawnmovie adaptation, they could have more creative freedom to change some of the outcomes. This would mean switching up the circumstances of certain characters' deaths, and perhaps punish the ones with strong plot armor in the game, like Sam (Panettiere) and Josh (Malek). Plus, it’s a great way to keep avid fans on their toes, especially since a lot of themreplayedUntil Dawnmultiple times to make different choices.
The Cons of Making Until Dawn an Interactive Film
Of course, pulling off a choice-based film would mean doing multiple shoots for different outcomes, which could prove challenging for theUntil Dawnteam because it would be costly and time-consuming. Plus,Until Dawnwould have to be streamed on a platform that’s capable of letting viewers choose the characters' fate. So far, Netflix and YouTube are the only video platforms that host multiple choices for viewers. There’s no news about whetherUntil Dawnwill be a streaming-only film, but it’s highly likely that it will premiere in cinemas.
There’s also a Netflix original comedy series from France titledUntil Dawn, so it might be difficult to make theUntil Dawnmovie a Netflix original interactive film.
Whichever direction theUntil Dawnmovie goes, there’s a lot riding on it to be a great rendition of the source material. Just like the video game, Sandberg can have fun with it and explore new twists and horrors.
