The upcoming big-screen adaptation of the survival-horror multiplayer game Dead by Daylight has found its director in Thordur Palsson. Palsson, an Iceland-born filmmaker, is known for his work on the 2020 Netflix series The Valhalla Murders and his 2024 directorial debut, the folk-horror film The Damned. He will direct from a script penned by Alexandre Aja and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who have previously collaborated on projects such as The Conjuring 2 and the remake of The Hills Have Eyes.
Jason Blum, CEO of Blumhouse Atomic Monster, expressed confidence in Palsson's ability to translate the game to the cinematic medium, stating, "Thordur is the filmmaker we trust to carry Dead by Daylight from the screen you play on to the big screen you watch in theaters."
Dead by Daylight, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, launched in 2016 with only three playable killers. The roster has since expanded significantly, featuring unique backstories and powers for each antagonist. The game's core gameplay involves a team of survivors working to evade and outwit a player-controlled killer. Future in-game additions are set to include prominent horror figures like Jason Voorhees and Art the Clown.
This development occurs amidst a notable surge in video game adaptations for film and television. Dead by Daylight follows in the footsteps of recent projects such as Until Dawn, the Five Nights at Freddy's films, Markiplier's Iron Lung, and the upcoming Return to Silent Hill. While not all video game movies have achieved widespread success, smaller productions like Iron Lung have demonstrated a market for well-executed original concepts. The genre also saw recent successful titles like the live-action Resident Evil film and major box office earners like A Minecraft Movie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, each grossing around $1 billion.