Summary
- Until Dawn started as a PS3 game, switched to PS4, then got a PS5 remake as a film.
- Easter Egg: Director, David F. Sandberg, appears in the Until Dawn movie on a missing poster.
- The final scene hints at a sequel or tie-in to a video game, setting up a potential movie continuation.
Until Dawn went through a troubling development; it began as a PS3 game, first announced in 2012, before disappearing. When it reappeared in 2014, the game was then released in 2015 for the PS4 instead. It instantly became a hit as a great narrative adventure game that blended horror elements reminiscent of iconic 80s slasher flicks and modern monster films.
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In 2024, the game received a remake, albeit more of a remaster, for the PS5 and PC platforms. Now, it returns once more as a film, also called Until Dawn. Is the movie filled with game references? Of course it is. Here are some Easter Eggs even eagle-eyed viewers and long-time game fans may have missed in the Until Dawn movie.
6 The Director Is Missing
Did You Spot David F. Sandberg?
It’s always fun to spot a director in a movie, beyond M. Night Shyamalan, who is in all of his own movies for brief cameos. David F. Sandberg, the director of Until Dawn, is in the movie, technically. When the fearsome five-some makes it to Glore Valley’s Welcome Center, Abel discovers a bunch of missing posters.
One of these posters features Sandberg, whose face is unmistakable, even in black and white. There are probably other Easter Eggs on this bulletin board, but the director's sticks out. For now, it’s worth recommending Sandberg’s first horror movie, Lights Out, which he directed for James Wan, who produced it.
5 Setting Up The Game
Was This A Prequel?
Marvel films have trained movie audiences to wait around until after the credits to get a teaser or a fun new scene for some upcoming projects. Until Dawn thankfully gets its teaser out before the credits roll, allowing audience members to rush to the bathroom after a long stint in the theater. In this final scene, a wall of TVs is featured, a callback to the game, and all of them switch from the Glore Valley Welcome Center to something that resembles a cozy cabin.
The final TV switch shows a snowy cabin from the outside and a car pulling up to it. The plot of Until Dawn, the 2015 game, features a group of college kids trapped in a cabin on a remote snowy mountain. This could be a way to tie things into the video game or a hint at a movie sequel.
4 Dr. Hill’s Notes
Hello Josh
There is another major tie-in to the game that hints at a connected universe. When Clover finally makes it to Dr. Hill’s underground office, he reveals that he is somehow using her fears to manifest monstrosities to terrorize her and her friends. He throws down a case file about Clover when she was in a psychiatric ward.
Additionally, Dr. Hill presents another file about Joshua Washington, also known as Josh, the main antagonist of the game. Rami Malek played Josh in one of his earliest roles, who dressed up like a slasher villain and chased his friends. Josh blamed them for the deaths of his twin sisters, creating a mentally unstable villain in the process. Josh dressed up in an outfit similar to the masked killer in the movie, referred to as “Psycho” in the credits, which is another reference of sorts.
3 A Brief Rush Of Blood Teaser
A Carnival In Sight
Besides the remake, there has only ever been one sequel to Until Dawn, and it’s more like a side attraction. Until Dawn: Rush of Blood was a PSVR game. It was an on-rails shooter without a story. Instead, players went through a demented carnival, dodging the killer from the main game throughout.
When the heroes make it to the final day in the movie, they take a look outside to see that much of the town has risen. Way off in the distance, there is a Ferris Wheel, which is a nod to Until Dawn: Rush of Blood’s carnival setting. Sadly, none of the characters make it to this bloody festival, which would have made for a great final setting.
2 A Nod To Classic Horror Tropes
Fear Awakens Us All
Max remarks early on in Until Dawn that their situation is not unlike a certain time loop movie with how things change every day. Here, the heroes encounter various ways of being scared and murdered, which is a treasure trove for horror fans. Most of the major sub-genres of horror movies are highlighted in Until Dawn, almost like a Greatest Hits collection.
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The first day is a classic slasher film with a scary Jason-like killer from Friday the 13th. There are nods to movies featuring lead characters getting possessed and killing others, like Smile. There is found footage akin to The Blair Witch Project. There is even a zombie movie included with the Wendigos chasing the heroes. The premise overall was a fun way to make a time loop movie and cram in every horror sub-genre under the sun.
1 A Hodgepodge Of Smaller Game Nods
Look Close, Dear Viewers
Like the missing posters, it’s impossible to notice every Easter Egg from Until Dawn in a movie theater the first time around. Assuredly, fans will discover more upon its full home release, but here are some smaller nods caught in the film. First, there is the hourglass that resets time for the heroes in the movie.
While the hourglass isn’t a significant part of the game, it was featured on the game’s cover, similar to the poster for the movie adaptation. The gas station the heroes arrive at is called Hartley’s, a nod to Chris Hartley, one of the main playable characters in Until Dawn, the game. Clover gets caught in a bear trap in the movie, as does Mike in the game, albeit it's his hand instead of his foot. Of course, the Wendigos were a major creature in the game, along with Dr. Hill being portrayed again by Peter Stormare, but those are more like returning characters than Easter Eggs.
- Release Date
- April 25, 2025
- Runtime
- 103 Minutes
- Director
- David F. Sandberg
- Writers
- Gary Dauberman, Blair Butler
- Producers
- Carter Swan, Roy Lee, Gary Dauberman, Charles Miller, Lotta Losten, Asad Qizilbash
Cast
-
Ella RubinClover -
Michael CiminoMax
