A former PlayStation narrative director is campaigning for proper recognition of the original Until Dawn game writers in the upcoming film adaptation.
As Eurogamer reports, Kim MacAskill's petition urges Sony "to establish new standards for intellectual property crediting, especially in cross-media adaptations," asking the company to "update their crediting approach for the Until Dawn film."
"The Until Dawn film credits the director, screenwriters, and others while merely stating 'based on the Sony game,'" MacAskill explained. "This overlooks the brilliant developers who dedicated years crafting this phenomenal experience - their names deserve public recognition rather than corporate anonymity."
In a detailed LinkedIn post, MacAskill contrasted Sony's approach with HBO's The Last of Us adaptation, which clearly credits both Naughty Dog and creative lead Neil Druckmann.
The narrative director revealed Sony executives explicitly told her that "IP developed under salary entitles creators to neither credit nor compensation," directly questioning Sony: "Why does Neil Druckmann receive acknowledgment when others in similar positions don't?"
When MacAskill inquired about rights to her creative contributions, Sony reportedly responded that while sympathetic, corporate policy prevented any exceptions - characterizing this as standard industry practice rather than personal dismissal.
"Simple credit acknowledgment and minimal adaptation rights were all I requested," she emphasized.
The petition specifically proposes solutions like executive producer credits or equivalent recognition for original creators, arguing this would "properly honor the visionaries behind transformative entertainment properties while establishing ethical precedents."
"This movement extends beyond Until Dawn - it's about affirming creative dignity across entertainment industries," MacAskill writes. "Join us in urging Sony to recognize deserving creators and inspire future innovators."
Coinciding with this initiative, reports suggest PlayStation Plus will offer Until Dawn Remastered in May 2025 - potentially cross-promoting the recently released film, which earned a mediocre 5/10 score in IGN's review for failing to capture the game's horror essence.
