Sony Pictures has released the first teaser for the movie Until Dawn, an adaptation of the horror game by Supermassive Games. The film is directed by David F. Sandberg ("Shazam", "Annabelle"), and the storyline of the film is entirely different from the story presented in the game, which has already sparked controversy among fans. The film will be released on April 25.

The plot of the movie Until Dawn significantly deviates from the game's story. Instead of focusing on the threat from the mystical Wendigo, the film tells the story of a group of friends caught in a time loop, trying to survive the pursuit of a mysterious masked killer. After each death, the characters return to the start of the night, and the horror genre changes with each reset. The only way to break this cycle is to survive until dawn.

The film stars Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Odessa A'zion, Maia Mitchell, and Belmont Cameli. Peter Stormare returns to his role as Dr. Hill from the game. However, Hollywood stars Rami Malek and Hayden Panettiere, who voiced the main characters in the game, will not appear in the film.

The time loop in the film is meant to recreate the so-called "butterfly effect" from the game, where the player's decisions affected the fate of the characters. According to Sandberg, "Every time the characters come back to life, it's like a new horror subgenre. To survive, they need to make it to dawn".

Despite the studio's claims of creating a unique experience for viewers, these assertions may be met with skepticism, as the "Groundhog Day" concept has already appeared repeatedly in horror films, including in "Happy Death Day."

Despite general interest in the announcement, fans of the original game have voiced mixed feelings. Some were intrigued by the innovative approach to the story, while others criticized the film's departure from the source material.

"They could’ve named this The Dark Pictures because those games conceptually have the same gameplay mechanics as Until Dawn, but people associate the name Until Dawn with the specific story of that game", noted one user on YouTube. Players have expressed concerns that the adaptation loses the essence that made the game iconic.   

Sony's decision to create a separate story within the Until Dawn universe has sparked considerable discussion. Sandberg assures that the film will retain the atmosphere of the game, but fans remain skeptical.

The film's writer, Gary Dauberman ("It", "The Nun"), defended the creative team’s decisions, emphasizing that the goal was to provide fans with a new experience. "We didn't want to give the audience the same experience they got from playing the game", noted Dauberman.

The film will be part of a packed year of video game adaptations. Already in April, Minecraft: The Movie will hit the big screens, followed by Until Dawn. In October, the premiere of Mortal Kombat 2 is expected, and in December, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. On television in 2025, the second season of The Last of Us on HBO and the second season of Twisted Metal will also be released.

Sony promises to release a full trailer for Until Dawn soon. Meanwhile, fans remain divided in their opinions—whether this film will be a worthy adaptation of the beloved game or just another Hollywood failure in the video game adaptation genre.