“UNTIL DAWN” Director David F. Sandberg Find Creative ways to kill off characters in deadly time loop

As fans of the Until Dawn videogame, director-producer David F. Sandberg and writer-producer Gary Dauberman wanted to create an ode to the horror genre for its film adaptation. Working within the timeloop structure of the game has brought in opportunities for a lot of creativity. “Every night, the story resets, taking us into a new horror genre,” Sandberg elaborates. “As a lifelong horror fan, it was a dream come true to work in all these subgenres. Every night the characters undergo what feels like a new chapter in a different story.”

Director Sandberg has been looking for a project that he can have fun with, and explore different aspects of horror. “Before learning of UNTIL DAWN, I’d been thinking about what a perfect project would be,” he says. “Would it be a slasher movie, or a supernatural story, or maybe a creature feature? UNTIL DAWN has it all; it’s several horror movies in one, which made me fall in love with it. We get to play with the entire horror toolbox. You never know what’s coming next in our story, because it changes every night.”

In Until Dawn, a group of friends are investigating the tragic disappearance of Melanie (Maia Mitchell), Clover’s (Ella Rubin) sister only to be murdered one by one as they explore an abandoned visitor center. Only, their story has just begun, and they’re forced to relive the night repeatedly. With only a limited number of deaths, the only way to survive is to make it until dawn.

Genre tropes are combined in an unpredictable tale of terror in Until Dawn. This, “allows us to have the fun of killing off our characters,” says Dauberman. “It was both a challenge and tremendous fun because we had the freedom to say, ‘Yeah, f*** it, let’s just kill him.’”

Don’t miss the chance to watch Until Dawn as it opens Philippine cinemas on Friday, April 25. Connect with the hashtag #UntilDawnMovie

Photo & Video Credit: “Columbia Pictures”