Video game adaptations seem to be faring much better in recent years. Instead of mid-2000s duds like Max Payne and Doom, we're getting box office and critical hits through Sonic the Hedgehog and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Right now, A Minecraft Movie is dominating the worldwide box office and The Last of Us is mentally scarring audiences with its second season.

Hoping to join these recent successes is Until Dawn, a big-screen adaptation of the horror classic. Whilst the original game is an interactive drama akin to old FMV (full motion video) titles where players have the power to decide who lives and dies, this film forgoes a straightforward adaptation. The game sees eight young adults surviving the night on a snowy mountain with the story changing depending on player actions, whilst the film sees a completely different cast trapped in a time loop.

Before Until Dawn‘s release on April 25, FILMHOUNDS had the chance to speak with director and producer David F. Sandberg. On the topic of adapting the game, Sandberg explained, “If you try to do the game exactly—well first of all, you have to pick an ending—but I don't think you could live up to the awesomeness of the game if you condense it into two hours and like recast. It just wouldn't have been the same.”

It seems the different direction was decided very early on, through the screenplay written by Blair Butler and Gary Dauberman. Sandberg went on to say, “I like how Gary and Blair did sort of an expansion of the universe, rather than try to recreate what's already there. So it's almost like a sequel, or it's more Until Dawn rather than the same Until Dawn.”

You can check out the full interview below, where Sandberg talks about the film's practical effects, exploring horror after directing superhero films, and what other video games he'd like to adapt.