PlayStation Productions seems to be all-in on the live-action adaptations business. Not only did they see the release of the popular and acclaimed “The Last of Us” TV show last year, but there were also adaptations of “Gran Turismo” and “Twisted Metal” released to positive responses.
With the superhero boom seemingly coming to a slow end, Hollywood is hard at work looking for the next adaptation gold rush. “One Piece” saw a live-action manga adaptation find huge success where previously it seemed like a lost cause, but those are still few and far between (there are live-action adaptations of everything from “Attack on Titan” to “My Hero Academia” supposedly in the works, but with no actual progress in years).
The answer, then, seems to be video games. While it wasn’t long ago when those, too, seemed cursed, we’ve seen plenty of video game adaptations released to great acclaim and financial success. Just look at the box-office track record of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” movies, or the critical and awards success of “Arcane.” When it comes to “Until Dawn,” the biggest challenge will be to adapt what is a giant homage that relies on player interactivity into a compelling narrative with zero audience interaction. Who knows, perhaps Screen Gems will try Smell-O-Vision or something to try and retain that audience factor.