Director Confirmed for Upcoming Dead by Daylight Movie
The upcoming Dead by Daylight movie will be directed by Icelandic filmmaker Thordur Palsson, known for The Damned and The Valhalla Murders. The film will be based on a screenplay written by Alexandre Aja — director of Never Let Go, Crawl, and Piranha 3D — and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who has contributed to The Conjuring series and both Aquaman films. The announcement was made during the Dead by Daylight 10th anniversary broadcast, where Jason Blum of Blumhouse and producer Stephen Mulrooney joined Palsson on stage to reveal the news.
Capturing the Essence of the Game
"For me, the main thing is capturing the feeling of playing Dead by Daylight," said Palsson. "The main thing is I want to capture the feeling of looking over your shoulder. I want to capture the dread, the tension, the fear of what's waiting for you in The Fog."
Palsson emphasized that the movie should evoke the same lingering unease that players feel while navigating the game's eerie environments. "I love horror that stays with you after it's over, and that's the cinematic experience we want to bring to the big screen for you guys."
Iconic Locations and Future Production
The film will feature iconic locations from the game, including The MacMillan Estate and Greenville, which are central to the game's atmosphere and narrative. Production is expected to begin in 2027, giving fans time to prepare for the upcoming release.
The Dead by Daylight movie was first announced in March 2023, though at the time it was noted that the project was in its early stages. The search for a screenwriter and director had only just begun, making the confirmation of Thordur Palsson a significant milestone.
The Game Behind the Movie
Developed and published by Canadian studio Behaviour Interactive, Dead by Daylight is a one-versus-four online asymmetric multiplayer survival-horror game. It is known for its long list of crossovers with existing horror films, TV shows, and games, including Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Child's Play, Hellraiser, Scream, The Evil Dead, Alien, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and many more. Oh, and also Nicolas Cage.
The game was first released on PC in 2016, but has since expanded to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, making it accessible to a wide range of players.
