Sony Criticized for Omitting Until Dawn Writers from Movie Credits

A former PlayStation narrative director, Kim MacAskill, has initiated a petition urging the creators of the Until Dawn movie to properly credit the game's writers. As highlighted by Eurogamer, MacAskill's petition seeks to influence Sony, a prominent player in the gaming industry, to set a new standard for crediting in transmedia adaptations.

MacAskill expressed her frustration on the petition, stating, "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 emphasized the dedication and creativity of the game's developers, saying, "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."

In a detailed LinkedIn post, MacAskill compared the treatment of the Until Dawn creators to that of HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us, which credits both the studio Naughty Dog and its creative director Neil Druckmann. She recounted being told by Sony executives that the IP she created would never be credited to her due to her salaried status, which included no royalties, control, ownership, or acknowledgment. MacAskill directly questioned Sony, asking, "I am struggling with the difference between Neil Druckmann's favor and that of others in your company."

MacAskill also revealed her attempt to inquire about the rights to her intellectual property, only to be informed by a Sony representative that the company understood her position but could not accommodate her request, stating it was "nothing personal" and a firm-wide policy. She added, "All I wanted was to be credited and to potentially have enough ownership for adaptation."

The petition calls for Sony to revise its approach to IP crediting in transmedia adaptations, suggesting that providing an executive producer credit or equivalent acknowledgment would honor the creators whose vision and passion have significantly impacted the entertainment industry. MacAskill concluded, "Let's advocate not only for the Until Dawn creators but for the integrity of the industry. By ensuring that creative voices are properly recognized, we can continue to inspire future generations of creators who dare to dream beyond current constraints. Sign this petition to urge Sony… and stand with all game creators… demanding well-deserved recognition in transmedia narratives."

In related news, it appears that Until Dawn Remastered will be one of the PlayStation Plus games for May 2025, potentially as a promotional move for the newly released Until Dawn movie. However, the movie received a lukewarm response, earning a 5/10 in IGN's Until Dawn movie review, which described it as "more disappointing than deadly, leaving all the promise of the horror game behind for a jumble of horror-movie re-creations."