"Ex-PS Narrative Director Criticizes Sony for Omitting Until Dawn Writers from Movie Credits"

A former PlayStation narrative director, Kim MacAskill, has launched a petition urging the creators of the Until Dawn movie to properly credit the game's original writers. As highlighted by Eurogamer, MacAskill's petition calls on Sony, a leader in the gaming industry, to set a new standard by revising the credits for Until Dawn and addressing how intellectual property (IP) is credited in transmedia adaptations.

In her petition, MacAskill expressed frustration over the current credits for the Until Dawn movie, which she feels inadequately recognize the game developers. "I've just left Until Dawn where the film director, writers, etc, were all credited, but instead of [Sony] mentioning the leading game dev(s) who created this ICONIC game you're clearly proud of, [Sony] just wrapped it as 'based on the Sony game'," she wrote. She emphasized the significant effort and creativity of the game's developers, stating, "They spent years breaking their brains to make something incredible, and the world DESERVES to know their names... instead… No credit. No thanks. No honor."

MacAskill elaborated on her concerns in a LinkedIn post, drawing a comparison between the credits given to Neil Druckmann for HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us and the lack of similar recognition for the Until Dawn team. She mentioned being told by Sony executives that her personally created IP would never be credited to her due to her salaried status, which she found disheartening. She directly addressed Sony, questioning the disparity in treatment and expressing her desire for at least some ownership and credit for her work.

The petition calls for Sony to revise its approach to IP crediting in transmedia projects, suggesting that providing an executive producer credit or similar acknowledgment would honor the creators whose work has significantly impacted the entertainment industry. MacAskill's call to action is not only for the Until Dawn creators but for the entire industry, aiming to ensure that creative voices receive the recognition they deserve and inspire future generations of creators.

In related news, it was reported that Until Dawn Remastered will be available on PlayStation Plus in May 2025, possibly as a promotional move for the recently released Until Dawn movie. However, the movie itself received a lukewarm reception, earning a 5/10 rating from IGN, with the review stating, "Until Dawn is more disappointing than deadly, leaving all the promise of the horror game behind for a jumble of horror-movie re-creations."