WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for 2025’s Until Dawn.It seemed inevitable that 2025’sUntil Dawnwould divide audiences with its story. As a loose adaptation of the 2015 video game, theUntil Dawnfilm features a time loopin which its characters get trapped while Clover searches for her missing sister in a haunted house. Despite featuring several significant differences from the video game, the2025Until Dawnmoviesets up a sequel that could be much more like the source material.
While this ideally gives fans of the video game something to look forward to, it would’ve made more sense for the first film to stick to the script featured in the original story.Director David F. Sandberg’sUntil Dawnwas a whole new story that had yet to develop a fan base in theaters, so doing a straightforward adaptation could have attracted more fans of the game and made its success much more likely.
Until Dawn’s Ending Means The Sequel Could Adapt The Original Video Game
After Clover and her friends drive away from Glore Valley at the end ofUntil Dawn, the film cuts back to Dr. Hill’s office. There, the security cameras cut away from the Glore Valley house andshow a lodge in what appears to be a snowy mountain.Until Dawn’s final shotinvokes memories of the Washington Lodge from the original video game, where the franchise’s original cast traveled to and were forced to survive until sunrise.
It’s clear that this final scene is intended to tease asequel toUntil Dawn,with the setting more in line with the game’s story. It’s unknown if the characters from the first film will return for the sequel or if this second house is also affected by the time loop in Glore Valley. However, it is possible thatthe sequel could reintroduce the main characters from the video game, but it is more likely that these young adults will be portrayed by new actors.
This Until Dawn Movie Should Have Just Adapted The Video Game First
Adapting The Video Game’s Story First Seemed Like The Safest Option
Though 2015’sUntil Dawnhad a huge story in the video game to draw from, the filmmakers went a different route. TheUntil Dawnmovie changed the game’s storyby presenting different characters and a different setting. It alsointroduced the concept of a time loop to evoke the game’s gimmick, where the player’s actions lead to different scenarios in the plot. Given the fan base that theUntil Dawnvideo game developed over the years, steering so far from the source material seemed like a risky move that could’ve jeopardized the movie’s success.
The time loop helped the film adaptation stand out and surprise audiences who played the game. Despite this, much of the game’s appeal came from its story and characters, so not adapting them faithfully to film all but guaranteed backlash from fans. Since it was also the first movie,Sony hadn’t yet won over moviegoers with its new film franchise.
Had the filmmakers started with a more faithful adaptation of theUntil Dawngame and gained goodwill from fans, they could have had better chances of success following it up with a more creative story. In summary, theUntil Dawnmovie showed that it was building up to a story closer to the game than Clover and her friends' long night in Glore Valley.
If this was the plan for the franchise, it would’ve made more sense for Sandberg and his team to accurately adapt the game’s story from the start and truly capitalize on the game’s popularity. Though the film’s new story was an ambitious way to build off the source material, the way it distanced itself from the latter made it very difficult to appeal to fans of the game, especially when other video game adaptations found success by staying true to the stories that so many people love.
Until Dawn
Cast
A group of friends ventures into a remote valley to uncover the truth behind a mysterious disappearance. They find themselves trapped in a nightmarish time loop, facing a series of ever-changing and increasingly terrifying threats.
