WARNING! The following contains spoilers for Until Dawn (2025).
The landscape of video game adaptations has long been fraught with challenges, but Until Dawn marks a fresh approach to bringing games to the silver screen. The movie adaptation of the popular horror game offers an interesting case study in this evolving trend, cleverly sidestepping common pitfalls while including plenty of Until Dawn references.
Set within the familiar, cursed Glore Valley and referencing key elements like the Wendigo and Dr. Hill, the movie enriches the existing canon and tells an original story at the same time. This deliberate choice of adding differences from the Until Dawn game, although having its problems, ultimately avoids the pitfalls of altering beloved characters or storylines. Instead, it opts to potentially enhance the overall Until Dawn experience for both newcomers and dedicated fans.
Until Dawn’s Movie Takes Place In The Same Universe As The Video Games
Both Take Place In The Haunting Glore Valley
Like the video game, the movie adaptation of Until Dawn takes place at the site of a mining disaster – Glore Valley. The characters in the movie uncover the same lore as in the game, including the Wendigo curse. A key difference is that in the movie, the characters restart the night repeatedly, marked by the upturning of the hourglᴀss, a reference to the game’s iconography. This is a reference to the mechanics of the game – the player cannot go back to save characters, making their only choice to restart the game or play it through before trying again.
The settings of the sanatorium and asylum are key in the movie as well as the game, further solidifying that the adaptation is in the same universe. Dr. Hill is also a key connection to the game, as is the sneaky Joshua file. Until Dawn’s ending seems to suggest that it serves as a prequel to the events of the Until Dawn video game, as it shows a cabin in a snowy location, the setting of the game. Although the characters of the movie have seemingly escaped, it seems to suggest that Dr. Hill survived, along with Glore Valley’s horrors.
Most Video Game Movies Don’t Co-Exist With The Original Games
Retconning And Pale Imitation Is Rife In The Genre
The most common approach to adapting video games is to adapt the stories directly. The other common approach is to create a new story that ignores the established game narrative. David F. Sandberg has taken a clever approach by using an original story that connects to the lore underpinning Until Dawn, as well as setting it up as a possible prequel to the events of the game.
This, too, is an unusual approach, since prequels are normally released once a franchise is well-established. Overall, it is rare to see cases where the movies and video games exist in the same canon, because it leaves too much room for contradictions and plot holes.
The drawback in the case of Until Dawn is that, as a game, it is already very cinematic.
That is not to say it plays by all the same rules – the idea of having 13 chances to survive the night is not from the video game. The introduction of this makes the movie feel more like a game to make up for the missing audience participation that makes the horror game such a thrill. Although setting the movie in the same universe with an original story mitigates risk in some ways, the introduction of this mechanic is arguably a risk when writing partly for a general horror audience and partly for Until Dawn’s fanbase.
Until Dawn’s Movie & Video Games Existing In The Same Universe Avoids Major Adaptation Problems
The Narrative Suggests Testing The Waters Before Directly Adapting The Game’s Story
Although it will doubtlessly be disappointing to gamers that the original story and cast of characters were only hinted at in the movie’s ending, writing an original story in the same universe avoids several common pitfalls of adaptation. It eliminates the chance of backlash for making changes to characters and the story in favor of a story that could potentially enhance the games, rather than simply recreating them for those who didn’t play it.
The drawback in the case of Until Dawn is that, as a game, it is already very cinematic. Further, because the action is mostly quick time events rather than real-time or turn-based combat, the game has a wide appeal. Combined with its ʙuттerfly effect mechanic and the starring roles of Rami Malek and Hayden Panettiere, it arguably appeals to people who are not necessarily into gaming as well as gamers who find different styles interesting to play. This clearly lends itself to adaptation, so any mechanical contributions need to enhance the game.
By introducing new characters and storylines while adhering to the existing lore and tone, Prime Video’s Fallout found great success.
The 13-night mechanic in Until Dawn’s unique time-loop experience is certainly interesting and is an admirable risk in an adaptation. However, the way it is executed might provoke mixed responses. The first few nights arguably have some jumpscare fatigue, and then the pendulum swings the other way by completely skipping several nights to get to night 13. Despite this, the creative thinking around how to gamify a cinematic experience without audience participation is innovative. If they had gone the direct adaptation route, it may have paled in comparison to the game.
More Video Game Movies Should Copy Until Dawn’s Video Game Universe Connection Decision
The Creative Approach Avoids Predictability And Engages A Cinematic Audience
Interestingly, Until Dawn‘s approach appears to be resonating with a broader recent trend in video game adaptations. The recent success of the Fallout TV series, for instance, showcases the power of crafting an original narrative firmly set within the game’s universe. By introducing new characters and storylines while adhering to the existing lore and tone, Prime Video’s Fallout found great success. This suggests that audiences are increasingly receptive to adaptations that expand upon the source material rather than simply retreading familiar ground, paving the way for more creative and franchise-enriching adaptations in the future.
Ultimately, Until Dawn‘s choice to root its cinematic adaptation within the established video game universe, rather than directly replicating its narrative, presents a compelling blueprint for future video game movies. By sidestepping the well-trodden paths of direct adaptation or complete reinvention, it cleverly expands the existing lore and elevates the source material to canonical status. This approach not only respects the dedicated fanbase but also opens up exciting possibilities for further exploration within the Until Dawn saga, suggesting a more integrated and potentially richer future for both its interactive and cinematic branches.
