The highly anticipated Until Dawn movie is on the way, but many fans of the original video game are wondering why Hayden Panetierre and Rami Malek won’t be appearing in the film adaptation. One of the most notable things about the 2015 video game is its cast, with all kinds of famous movie and television actors giving motion capture performances in Until Dawn. Two of the biggest names from the original game are Hayden Panetierre and Rami Malek, and despite them being key to the success of the game, they will not be appearing in the upcoming Until Dawn movie.

In Until Dawn, Rami Malek plays Josh, the brother of Bela who invites the game’s main cast of characters to the lodge that most of the story takes place in. Meanwhile, Hayden Panetierre plays Sam Giddings, the outsider friend who essentially acts as the protagonist of the game. Both of these actors are prominently featured throughout the game, with Until Dawn‘s focus on story putting them at the center of the gameplay experience. Because of this, many Until Dawn fans are surprised that they aren’t involved with the upcoming movie.

Hayden Panetierre & Rami Malek’s Returns Did Not Work With The Until Dawn Movie’s Story

The Movie Tells An Original Story

Hayden Panetierre and Rami Malek’s reason for not returning in the Until Dawn movie simply has to do with the fact that their returns did not work with the movie’s story. Although the Until Dawn movie shares its тιтle with the video game, it is incredibly different from its source material. The Until Dawn movie is telling an entirely original story, one that involves an entirely new cast. The Until Dawn movie is not a remake of or a sequel to the original Until Dawn story, meaning that Rami Malek and Hayden Panetierre’s characters from the video game weren’t needed.

While there are some shared elements between the Until Dawn movie and video game, such as the Wendigo and the cabin setting, there are far more differences. The upcoming Until Dawn movie will follow a different group of friends who go to a cabin, only to learn that they are being hunted by a mysterious killer. After they are killed, they wake up at the beginning of their time in the cabin again. They come to learn that each new day brings with it a new and ᴅᴇᴀᴅly threat, with them having to survive until dawn.

Hayden Panetierre & Rami Malek’s Until Dawn Returns Would Have Been Difficult Even If It Properly Adapted The Game

Due To How Much Time Has Pᴀssed

Since the story of Until Dawn is so popular, many fans hopes that the film adaptation would stick to this original story while also bringing back Hayden Panetierre and Rami Malek. However, even if the movie was a faithful adaptation of the video game’s story, Panetierre and Malek’s returns still would not have worked. The Until Dawn game is 10 years old now, with Rami Malek being 43 and Hayden Panetierre being 35 as of the writing of this article. Until Dawn is meant to be about a group of young adult friends, and neither of these actors fit into this category anymore.

This is the case for nearly every member of the original Until Dawn cast. Essentially, the only character whose age wouldn’t have been a problem is the 71-year-old Peter Stormare, who played the psychiatrist Dr. Hill in the game. As it turns out, Stormare is returning in the Until Dawn movie, but as an entirely different character. Basically every other character in the Until Dawn movie is a younger actor, with it recreating the young cast of the original Until Dawn video game.

Hayden Panetierre Wanted To Come Back For The Until Dawn Movie

She Wanted To Play Sam Again

Interestingly, it seems that Until Dawn‘s decision not to bring back Hayden Panetierre wasn’t up to the actor. In one interview, Panetierre says that she wishes she was playing Sam in the Until Dawn movie. Although Sam won’t be appearing in the video game, it was previously ᴀssumed that the Until Dawn movie would tell the story of the game, with her saying that the potential actress who would have played Sam should “get off my mark” (via Reddit).

Rami Malek hasn’t provided his thoughts on the Until Dawn remake, but it is likely that him not returning wasn’t up to him either based on Panetierre’s comments. While some fans of the video game may be upset that the movie is taking a new direction, it could turn out that the Until Dawn film manages to be a great successor to the original game.