Thordur Palsson, known for the Icelandic police procedural The Valhalla Murders and the folk horror film The Damned, has been appointed director for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of the popular asymmetrical horror game Dead by Daylight. The announcement was made during the game's 10th-anniversary broadcast.
Blumhouse, the production company behind franchises like Paranormal Activity and Get Out, is spearheading the film project alongside Behaviour Interactive, the game's developer, and Atomic Monster, James Wan's production company. David Leslie Johnston-McGoldrick and Alexandre Aja are penning the script, with Johnston-McGoldrick having previously worked on The Conjuring franchise and Aja directing films such as The Hills Have Eyes and Crawl.
Palsson, who discovered Dead by Daylight during the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed his intention to capture the game's core essence. "For me, the main thing is capturing the feeling of playing Dead by Daylight," Palsson stated during the broadcast. "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."
Producer Stephen Mulrooney indicated that filming is slated to commence in 2027. The movie aims to incorporate iconic game locations, including The MacMillan Estate and Greenville. Jason Blum emphasized that the film is primarily being created for the game's dedicated fanbase, with the hope that it will lead to further adaptations. The game itself, released in 2016, has previously featured crossovers with properties like Stranger Things and included actor Nicolas Cage as a playable character. The upcoming addition of Terrifier's Art the Clown to the game was also noted.