TheUntil Dawnmovie is connected to the 2015 video game of the same name, but it is not a remake. Even though it is not a wholly original horror movie,Until Dawnis one of the most unique films of the year. The new movie, which is directed by David F. Sandberg, takes inspiration from the game, but introduces many new concepts to theUntil Dawnfranchise. For example, the characters are stuck in atime loop inUntil Dawn, which is a concept that was not included in the game.
Since they are stuck in a time loop, the characters in the film are forced to relive horrors over and over again until they potentially lose their humanity. As seen in the movie, this would eventuallyturnUntil Dawn’scharacters into wendigos, which are savage, terrifying creatures. Thankfully, Clover and her friends manage to escape the time loop at theend ofUntil Dawn. Even though they survive,the final shot ofUntil Dawnsets up a potential sequel and connects the movie to the video game.
The Until Dawn Movie Is Not A Remake Of The Video Games
The Until Dawn Movie Follows A New Group Of Characters
In theUntil Dawnvideo game, which was released in 2015 to much acclaim, a group of friends return to a cabin one year after two of their friends, Hannah and Beth, went missing. While at the cabin, members of the group get terrorized by a mysterious masked figure, as well as wendigos, leading to most of them dying. The video game is very terrifying, but the movie decided not to adapt its story. Instead,theUntil Dawnmovie is only inspired by the game and follows a brand-new set of characters.
The movie follows Clover, Max, Megan, Nina, and Abel, a group of friends who are on a road trip to find closure one year after Clover’s sister went missing. Therefore, whileUntil Dawntakes inspiration from the story of the game, it tells a new story. However,Dr. Hill, a character from the video game, does play a role in the movie. In the game, Hill appears to Josh, the brother of Hannah and Beth, as a hallucination. However, the movie reveals that he is a real person who Clover must defeat to escape the time loop.
Until Dawn’s Director Has Confirmed The Movie Exists In The Same Universe As The Video Games
The Until Dawn Movie & Video Game Are Connected
While most ofUntil Dawn’scharacters do not appear in the original video game, Dr. Hill plays an important role in both stories. This seemingly confirms that the movie and the game exist in the same universe. Furthermore, near the end of the film,a file for Josh is seen on Hill’s desk, further proving that theUntil Dawnmovie and game are connected. Upon the movie’s release,Until Dawn’sdirector confirmed that the film and the game are connected. In an interview withVariety, Sandberg said:
The biggest thing is just to try to get the message out there that it isn’t a remake of the game — it’s another installment in the universe. It takes place in the same universe, so it’smore"Until Dawn" rather than the same “Until Dawn.” That’s been the main thing to try to get out there, so people don’t go in expecting one thing and getting another. We wanted to do something that fans can enjoy and see all the things that tie it together with the game, but also something that people who haven’t played the game can go in and enjoy without feeling lost.
A lot of video game adaptations directly adapt the game they are based on. However, Sandberg and the writers ofUntil Dawn, Gary Dauberman (also producer) and Blair Butler, decided to do something different with this movie. Instead of repeating the story of the game,theUntil Dawnmovie only takes elements from it to include in its horrifying story. Throughout the movie, Sandberg and his team plant clues that the film and the game are connected. It is not until the end of the movie that it becomes clear that bothUntil Dawnstories are part of the same universe.
How Until Dawn’s Movie Sets Up The Video Games
The Final Shot Of The Until Dawn Movie Is Important
Not long after revealing Josh’s file on Hill’s desk, it becomes clear thattheUntil Dawnmovie is actually a prequel to the game. At the end of the film, Clover kills Hill and escapes the time loop with her friends. However, once they have left, the monitors in Hill’s office cut to a new location, and reveal a black car driving up to a snowy cabin.
This is actually the opening of the video game, and the large snowy cabin is the setting of its story. Because ofUntil Dawn’sfinal shot, it is clear that the horrors that take place at the winter lodge are still going to happen in the world of the movie. It remains to be seen whether a sequel to theUntil Dawnmovie will directly adapt the events of the game.
If this does happen, thenactors like Rami Malek and Hayden Panettiere could potentially reprise their roles from the video game. However, for now, fans of the franchise can enjoy playing the game with more knowledge about Hill and the wendigos after watching theUntil Dawnmovie.
