“Until Dawn” may not have the cultural ubiquity of “Minecraft,” but the horror survival video game has a cult fanbase. Director David F. Sandberg and co-screenwriter Gary Dauberman are not only devotees of the game but a logical team to tackle the adaptation. Sandberg has helmed the horror favorite “Lights Out” and the well-received “Annabelle: Creation,” which was also scripted by Dauberman, while Dauberman is no stranger to adapting beloved horror properties, having co-written both “It” films.
Playing in the sandbox of the beloved game, “Until Dawn” is a new story in the larger universe — not a remake or reboot of the story. Ahead of its release, Sandberg and Dauberman broke down the film’s place in the franchise, some of its easter eggs and potential sequels.
How did you figure out how you wanted to adapt “Until Dawn” into a film?
Dauberman: It was a discussion with Blair Butler, my co-writer, at first, just talking about the game itself. It’s so cinematic, so we didn’t want to try to recreate what we have already experienced in great fashion on our couches. So we talked about what characters we could bring over into a new story and see where we could take the game, really leaning into the inspirations of the genres that the game leans into, and see how we can exploit that for the movie.
This movie was filled with practical effects. How did you land on that decision?
Sandberg: It’s always been my dream to make a movie like that. I’ve always been a big horror fan, always been a big practical effects and latex-blood kind of fan. When we were in prep, going through sets and things like that, there was a lot of, “Well, that’s going to be visual effects, right?” And it was like, “No, no, no, we can do it like this,” and then, “OK, but that’s going to be visual effects, right?” “No, no, no.” There’s nothing wrong with visual effects at all, but it was sort of assumed that a lot of things would be made that way, as that’s how it’s done now. And there are visual effects in our movie too — we didn’t stay away from them — but we wanted to take practical as far as we could and be clever about it. It’s satisfying when it does work and when the plan comes together, as they would say on “The A-Team.”
What were some elements you knew had to be in the film for fans of the game?
Dauberman: Doctor Hill was a big one that, as a fan of the game, I felt we could learn more about. Working with Peter Stormare, who plays him, was something I was really hoping we could do. The Psycho mask was another element of the game that I thought was such an iconic visual that we wanted to carry over into the movie. Then just the spirit of the game itself: The scares, the thrills, the fun of it. What I felt playing the game was something we wanted to recreate with the movie.
Sandberg: Working with Peter was a dream come true for me as a fellow Swede. He’s always been this Swedish hero, when you go to movie theaters and see “Fargo,” “Armageddon” and “Jurassic Park.” I wrote him a letter in Swedish talking him into it, and then he was all on board.
This is a super gory movie. How did you land on how bloody you wanted it to be and what you wanted the viscera to look like?
Sandberg: The game has some really violent deaths — that’s one of the fun things about it is you can replay it, make different choices and see different deaths. So it felt like we couldn’t go less than the game because we had to live up to what the team did. I was more than happy to go there because it’s fun to do.
How many Easter Eggs did you plant in the movie? Have they all been found at early screenings?
Dauberman: It’s been a limited audience so far, so I don’t know, but I don’t think they found them all. What’s fun about it too was we planted some in the script, and then David planted some, and then Jen Spence, the set designer, had hers. So I don’t even know if I found them all, to be honest with you. It was like passing the baton with people drawing inspiration from the game and planting those Easter Eggs, which are really fun to look for.
Is there one particular nod to the game that you enjoy the most?
Sandberg: I like that the Restraining Chair makes an appearance, which is such a small part of the game, but we do a fun thing with it
Dauberman: Yeah, I do like that quite a bit. There are a couple of things that Hill says that I like, but I don’t want to spoil it.
David F. Sandberg on the set of “Until Dawn.” (Kerry Brown / © Sony Pictures Releasing / Courtesy Everett Collection)
©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
You both were brave for doing a Reddit AMA before the movie came out to talk with fans. What has it been like to manage expectations before it was even released?
Sandberg: 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’s more “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. I think we pulled that off.
Dauberman: I love engaging with fans. I’m one of them, so I know what it’s like seeing leaks of a movie come out and you’re like, “Why did they go with that?” or “What’s going on here?” So I expect it and I hope I can answer their questions in a satisfactory manner, but also try to remind them that I’m coming at this from a fan standpoint. You know I love the game. So it’s a cool opportunity to take something you love and try to expand it and make it part of the larger franchise. Hopefully, we get a new game out of it.
Have there been any discussions about doing a game with these characters?
Dauberman: I have talked to the developers. I think there are talks of doing another game, and constantly through the writing we were talking to developers, seeing what they had in mind for the larger lore of the world. It was a great back-and-forth conversation, so I’m hopeful they do the game.
At the end of this movie, the door is left open for a sequel. Have you talked about ideas as to what that might look like?
Sandberg: I’m always just like, “I want to get this movie done and reassess my life and sleep forever.” But you could so easily make more of them because there are more horror genres and tropes you could have fun with. You could even just have new characters or the same characters in different places. There’s a lot you could do with it, but for now, let’s just rest.
Dauberman: I’d work with David on anything. What we want to try is not to make the video games over here and then the movies over here. It’d be cool if they’re if they’re all part of the same stew, so they don’t feel like they’re on separate tracks. They’re actually on the same track, pushing the story further and further. That would be my hope.
Gary, you’re working on the “Gargoyles” reboot. It’s a Disney property, but you tend to work on very dark projects. Do you feel like this is going to be more sinister than people expect?
Dauberman: Oh, yes, another beloved piece of IP. This new iteration of “Gargoyles”… The show was already pretty dark in that it was serialized, it was a mature thing, it’s operatic and the story was so epic. I’m hoping it’s very similar to the vibe that you got when you were watching it back in the late ’90s. I just loved that half hour of television, falling into their world. I’m hoping we achieve that. It’s a lot of fun, though — it’s a thrill.
Watch the “Until Dawn” trailer below.
