Latest news with #ScreenGems
Time Magazine
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
We Need More Risks Like the Ones Until Dawn Takes
Survival is a game of odds determined by choice. Every action has a butterfly effect that impacts the decisionmaker and those around them. In some cases, hard choices must be made to achieve the optimum quality of survival. And the success or failure of those sacrifices is ultimately subjective. Those are the stakes of Supermassive Games' Until Dawn (2015), an interactive horror survival video game in which players take control of eight friends who become stranded at a cabin on Blackwood Mountain during a memorial for their friend's death and must survive myriad terrors…until dawn. Those same stakes are also true of adapting a video game for film or television, particularly when it comes to deviating from the source material. The very process of adaptation requires tough choices, and audiences' responses to those choices have bearing not only on the success of the film or show itself, but on the entire climate of video game adaptations in a pop culture space that is looking for both box office and ratings success stories, and new ways to engage audiences with popular IP. David Sandberg's Until Dawn, from Screen Gems and PlayStation Productions, has received a mixed reaction from audiences as a result of its own choices, alongside middling reviews and a modest first weekend box office, though low production costs mean it's likely to recoup if it hasn't already. But Until Dawn is too interesting, and by my count, too fun, an experiment in bringing video game mechanics to the big screen to be discounted. Instead of following the plot or characters of the game, Until Dawn introduces us to a new group of friends. Clover (Ella Rubin), Max (Michael Cimino), Nina (Odessa A'zion), Megan (Ji-young Yoo), and Abe (Belmont Cameli) are searching for Clover's missing sister, Melanie (Maia Mitchell), which leads them to a welcome center in an abandoned mining town, Glore Valley. Once there, they find themselves caught in a death loop, reliving the same night over and over again each time they are killed. The hook, and what sets Until Dawn apart from other time-loop films like Palm Springs, Before I Fall, and Groundhog Day, is that each night offers different monsters and horror scenarios ranging from a masked slasher villain to a witch, wendigos, and more. And each time the characters return to life, with the memories of what they faced and how they died, they come back sporting traces of the injuries that killed them, their bodies changing until they start to become another one of the creatures stalking this nightmare scenario. With 13 chances for all of them to survive together, the group is pitted against a ticking clock and must use the knowledge gained from their deaths to not only ensure their survival as a group but also avoid becoming 'part of the night' forever. There are plenty of nods to the game, and the film is set in the same world, with Peter Stormare reprising his role as the mysterious and manipulative psychiatrist, Dr. Hill. But the film expands upon the game's lore to create a unique, funhouse horror experience, a celebration of multiple horror subgenres and practical effects. Making a film out of Until Dawn was never an easy prospect, and the decision not to use the story or characters from the game was met with backlash from many fans. The game, written by Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick, is a masterwork in modern survival horror. It's no surprise, given both writers' history and success in the horror movie space (including Habit, Wendigo, The House of the Devil, and X), that Until Dawn has the scale, scope, and character dynamics of a movie. Additionally, the game features motion capture performances and voice acting from recognizable actors, including Rami Malek, Hayden Panettiere, and Jordan Fisher. Until Dawn isn't a case of the cutscenes simply highlighting the quality of graphics. The game looks and sounds like a movie in every regard, from its opening song to the lighting choices and angles, and the way the characters move through the world. Supermassive's follow-up game, the equally excellent The Quarry, written by Reznick, Will Byles, and Alex Farnham, took things a step further by adding a movie mode that allowed 'players' to watch the game like a movie, and offered different options like 'Gorefest' for a more graphic experience, and the 'Horror History Visual Filter Pack' which gave the game three filter options: Indie Horror, which mimicked 8mm style, '80s Horror, which offered a VHS-style look, and Classic Horror, for a black and white filter. Both Until Dawn and The Quarry —along with Supermassive's series of shorter anthology horror games, The Dark Pictures Anthology, which Fessenden and Reznick kicked off with Man of Medan (2018) —have gained the attention and enthusiasm of video gamers and cinephiles. Given how thin the line between game and film was already, what was the point of making an Until Dawn movie? It's a question many fans asked upon the film's announcement. And the adaptation was never going to be as straightforward as its peers in this space. HBO has found immense ratings success and awards nominations with The Last of Us, which, while based on a PlayStation game far more action and gameplay-oriented than Until Dawn, follows the plot of the games almost beat for beat and sometimes shot for shot. Despite complaints that the show does little to justify its existence, and petty, often mean-spirited grievances over casting choices that don't match the game designs, The Last of Us has been deemed a massive success and a high point in video game adaptations. Also a success, while taking a very different approach, is Amazon's Fallout, which is set in the world and continuity of the games but introduces audiences to new characters within its vast, post-apocalyptic setting. But unlike The Last of Us and Until Dawn, Fallout is an RPG game in which gamers play as a character they've created and named, which makes the transition to a new protagonist for the series easier. Some have argued that Sandberg and writers Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler could've simply adapted Until Dawn beat for beat, like The Last of Us. Undoubtedly, the characters would have had to be recast, given that the originating cast is now 10 years older than their characters, but it was certainly doable, and seemingly what some fans of the game would have preferred. But the movie's creators have argued that that approach wouldn't have captured the spirit of the game, in which numerous branching paths exist depending on the player's choices. On the decision to not simply adapt the game, Sandberg explained his rationale in an interview with ScreenRant: 'The game is pretty much a 10-hour movie, so I think it wouldn't have been as interesting for me if we were doing just the game, because then it's going to be like a cut-down, non-interactive version of the game, which just wouldn't be the same thing. So, I was very excited to read the script and see that it took Until Dawn further and did more with it, but also kept—when you play the game, the fun part of it is sort of replaying it and making different choices for the characters and see different deaths and all these things. And that was so brilliantly incorporated in movie form, which is non-interactive, but you can still get the different outcomes.' Co-writer Blair Butler shared similar sentiments about her own reservations with rehashing the game. 'The remaster [released in Fall 2024] was coming out roughly the same time that we were hoping to get this movie together. And that was another reason that I think everyone involved, Gary, as well, didn't want to just remake the original storyline, beat for beat.' The existential need for experimentation The filmmakers' desire for creative freedom, while playing around within the world of Until Dawn, is an understandable one. And I'd argue that the film still feels of a piece with the game, with the characters fulfilling the archetypes you'd see in a Supermassive game, and Jennifer Spence's production design nailing the vibe and look of set pieces that would feel right at home in the game. Additionally, the film takes a page from the VR spin-off game, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, which sees the player caught inside the mind of one of Until Dawn 's central characters and facing off against various nightmares inspired by his anxieties and fear of death. These aspects, along with the film implementing a version of the 'Chapter Restart' option in the game with the time loop mechanism, all capture the spirit of the game. What Sandberg's film is lean on is the quieter moments of the game that give players the option to talk to the other characters and learn more about them while building stronger relationships of both negative and positive impact. While there were certainly other choices that could have been made in bringing Until Dawn to the big screen, there's something of unique value in how the film works game mechanics, like our ability to restart when we make the wrong choice, into the narrative and theme of the story. If video game movies, especially those that already push the boundaries between film and television, are to have any longevity in Hollywood, then filmmakers have to do more than simply retell the games. Until Dawn may not strike the perfect balance, and there's an opportunity for this method of adapting the choice-based mechanics to do more work in the character department in the future. But as a play test, it's a successful first attempt at doing something new while incorporating the concept of the game. The alternative, and an option all fans of the game have, is to simply play the game again if we want to relive the exact experience of the game. Sometimes, even as fans of a game, if we want to see these properties survive and engage us in new ways, we just have to relinquish control.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gigi Zumbado takes the edge off new Valentine's Day slasher 'Heart Eyes'
Love is a killer in the new Valentine's Day horror flick 'Heart Eyes" — but Gigi Zumbado brings levity and charm to this cheeky, yet gruesome movie. The Cuban American actor stars alongside Olivia Holt ('Ally') and Mason Gooding ('Jay'), two co-workers at a marketing agency who find themselves together, but not together, on Valentine's Day. Meanwhile, the 'Heart Eyes Killer,' known for killing young couples in Boston and Philadelphia, has set his sights on Seattle, where the movie takes place. Directed by Josh Ruben and brought to you by Screen Gems and Spyglass Media Group, the same company behind the 'Scream" franchise, "Heart Eyes" is bound to keep date night-goers on the edges of their seats. The horror factor, however, takes a back seat when Ally and Jay share comically gratuitous moments of rom-com schmaltz. Zumbado's charisma shines through in lighthearted scenes as Monica: Ally's co-worker, wingwoman and occasional fashion police. Their on-screen kinship likely stems from Zumbado's real-life identity as a "girl's girl." Born and raised in Miami, the 28-year-old navigates the entertainment industry alongside her two sisters, Carmela and Marisela Zumbado, who are also actors. 'I always say that we have three raffle tickets in the raffle," Gigi Zumbado said over a Zoom call with De Los. "We read for the same roles, even though we're very different. We're always sharing notes and giving each other advice." As the youngest of the three, Zumbado has forged her own path in showbiz, having previously taken on the role of Tammy Ocampo in the Epix series "Bridge and Tunnel,' and appearing in such films as 'Pitch Perfect 2" and 'Tone-Deaf.' She is also featured in an upcoming comedy pilot for CBS, 'DMV,' alongside former "Saturday Night Live" cast members Tim Meadows and Molly Kearney. But before Zumbado ventures off into her promising future, will her character Monica survive this Valentine's Day unscathed? Zumbado spoke with De Los about the making of "Heart Eyes" and bringing a taste of Little Havana to Hollywood. The following Q&A has been lightly edited for clarity and length and contains spoilers. Your character Monica took the edge off an otherwise intense thriller. What did you think of your character? Oh, I love her. She's very fun. Monica is a blast. It's so funny because I feel like I'm in a different movie than everybody else. I forget how scary and hectic and crazy it is. Monica [offered] comedic relief. To come in and just, like you said, take the edge off and get to laugh a little bit. You say your character was in a completely different movie than the others. What kind of movie is Monica in? My character's in a Mary-Kate and Ashley [Olsen] movie. I [cannot] comment so much on the slasher aspects of it. I just got to laugh and have a nice fun time with Olivia Holt. [It] felt like we were just kiki-ing all day long. I kept thinking, 'Is Monica going to be part of the horror?' But [spoiler alert] it felt nice to see a best friend who doesn't die. What a concept. [laughs] If you did have to defend yourself from the killer known as 'Heart Eyes,' what would you use? A chancleta. [Visibly takes off her shoe.] This one's a little one, it's a little kitten heel, it doesn't do much. My dad always told me and my sisters, "If you got a heel, use it." How does it feel to come from an acting family? Are your parents actors? Our parents are not actors at all. I do self tapes with my mom sometimes, and that's a horror scene in itself, trying to get her to act opposite me if my sisters are not available. It's fun, though, because our parents never pushed this on us, ever. We were just the entertainment of our family, always dancing and playing instruments, and so that's how we came into entertaining, through music. The three of us all live together in Hollywood now. If Carmela goes in before me to an audition, she'll come out of the room and be like, 'OK, they hated this, they like this, they're looking for this.' I get an extra minute to prep. Then if Marisela goes in next, I'll be like 'OK, Mari, they liked this from Carmela and this of me, but you do this and da, da, da, da.' We're super lucky. I don't know how people can handle this industry without having two best friends beside them cheering them on as well. I wouldn't be able to do this without my sisters. How does it feel to live in L.A., coming from a Miami household?We just turned the Hollywood Hills into Little Havana. We have our mom with us, and we got our dad out here. Now that all of our grandparents have passed, we go back less, and now my aunts and uncles and cousins [come] out here for the holidays. We're such a tight-knit group. We're just not accepting anything else. What comes next for you? I'm really excited about a pilot that I shot in November in Montreal. It's called 'DMV.' It's a CBS pilot, a workplace comedy, and it has the most incredibly talented, hilarious cast I've ever worked with. I feel like the smallest fish in a huge pond with these comedic legends. They're "SNL" alum, and they're incredible. I'm really hoping we get to go forward because that was a blast and those people are just so gifted and it felt like being on a TED Talk, just watching them all interact with each other. I did see that it was in development. That's so cool. Dana Klein is amazing. She changed my character's name to Cecilia and made her a Cuban girl from Miami. It was so cool to get to bring out my roots and showcase, you know, a little chonga from Miami to CBS. I am starting to notice more Latino characters in mainstream media that don't necessarily have an overly detailed backstory; they can just exist and be who they are. Totally. That was probably the biggest compliment to me. In "Heart Eyes," this character of Monica was an open ethnicity [role]. I just happened to be Latina. I had gotten sick of only reading or booking things specifically for Cuban girls. There was a time that you just needed to be Cuban and were asked, 'Do you speak fluent Spanish? Were you raised speaking Spanish?' It had to be [this] exact Latin story for you to be able to tell it. I don't think that's realistic or how it works. I think we all share a lot of things in our different cultures. And I was so proud that this role had nothing to do with being Hispanic. I happen to be Latina. The writer is letting me showcase that, but that's not why I booked it. And that was such a compliment to me. Get our Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the complexity of our communities. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Gigi Zumbado takes the edge off new Valentine's Day slasher ‘Heart Eyes'
Love is a killer in the new Valentine's Day horror flick 'Heart Eyes' — but Gigi Zumbado brings levity and charm to this cheeky, yet gruesome movie. The Cuban American actor stars alongside Olivia Holt ('Ally') and Mason Gooding ('Jay'), two co-workers at a marketing agency who find themselves together, but not together, on Valentine's Day. Meanwhile, the 'Heart Eyes Killer,' known for killing young couples in Boston and Philadelphia, has set his sights on Seattle, where the movie takes place. Directed by Josh Ruben and brought to you by Screen Gems and Spyglass Media Group, the same company behind the 'Scream' franchise, 'Heart Eyes' is bound to keep date night-goers on the edges of their seats. The horror factor, however, takes a back seat when Ally and Jay share comically gratuitous moments of rom-com schmaltz. Zumbado's charisma shines through in lighthearted scenes as Monica: Ally's co-worker, wingwoman and occasional fashion police. Their on-screen kinship likely stems from Zumbado's real-life identity as a 'girl's girl.' Born and raised in Miami, the 28-year-old navigates the entertainment industry alongside her two sisters, Carmela and Marisela Zumbado, who are also actors. 'I always say that we have three raffle tickets in the raffle,' Gigi Zumbado said over a Zoom call with De Los. 'We read for the same roles, even though we're very different. We're always sharing notes and giving each other advice.' As the youngest of the three, Zumbado has forged her own path in showbiz, having previously taken on the role of Tammy Ocampo in the Epix series 'Bridge and Tunnel,' and appearing in such films as 'Pitch Perfect 2' and 'Tone-Deaf.' She is also featured in an upcoming comedy pilot for CBS, 'DMV,' alongside former 'Saturday Night Live' cast members Tim Meadows and Molly Kearney. But before Zumbado ventures off into her promising future, will her character Monica survive this Valentine's Day unscathed? Zumbado spoke with De Los about the making of 'Heart Eyes' and bringing a taste of Little Havana to Hollywood. The following Q&A has been lightly edited for clarity and length and contains spoilers. Your character Monica took the edge off an otherwise intense thriller. What did you think of your character? Oh, I love her. She's very fun. Monica is a blast. It's so funny because I feel like I'm in a different movie than everybody else. I forget how scary and hectic and crazy it is. Monica [offered] comedic relief. To come in and just, like you said, take the edge off and get to laugh a little bit. You say your character was in a completely different movie than the others. What kind of movie is Monica in? My character's in a Mary-Kate and Ashley [Olsen] movie. I [cannot] comment so much on the slasher aspects of it. I just got to laugh and have a nice fun time with Olivia Holt. [It] felt like we were just kiki-ing all day long. I kept thinking, 'Is Monica going to be part of the horror?' But [spoiler alert] it felt nice to see a best friend who doesn't die. What a concept. [laughs] If you did have to defend yourself from the killer known as 'Heart Eyes,' what would you use? A chancleta. [Visibly takes off her shoe.] This one's a little one, it's a little kitten heel, it doesn't do much. My dad always told me and my sisters, 'If you got a heel, use it.' How does it feel to come from an acting family? Are your parents actors? Our parents are not actors at all. I do self tapes with my mom sometimes, and that's a horror scene in itself, trying to get her to act opposite me if my sisters are not available. It's fun, though, because our parents never pushed this on us, ever. We were just the entertainment of our family, always dancing and playing instruments, and so that's how we came into entertaining, through music. The three of us all live together in Hollywood now. If Carmela goes in before me to an audition, she'll come out of the room and be like, 'OK, they hated this, they like this, they're looking for this.' I get an extra minute to prep. Then if Marisela goes in next, I'll be like 'OK, Mari, they liked this from Carmela and this of me, but you do this and da, da, da, da.' We're super lucky. I don't know how people can handle this industry without having two best friends beside them cheering them on as well. I wouldn't be able to do this without my sisters. How does it feel to live in L.A., coming from a Miami household?We just turned the Hollywood Hills into Little Havana. We have our mom with us, and we got our dad out here. Now that all of our grandparents have passed, we go back less, and now my aunts and uncles and cousins [come] out here for the holidays. We're such a tight-knit group. We're just not accepting anything else. What comes next for you? I'm really excited about a pilot that I shot in November in Montreal. It's called 'DMV.' It's a CBS pilot, a workplace comedy, and it has the most incredibly talented, hilarious cast I've ever worked with. I feel like the smallest fish in a huge pond with these comedic legends. They're 'SNL' alum, and they're incredible. I'm really hoping we get to go forward because that was a blast and those people are just so gifted and it felt like being on a TED Talk, just watching them all interact with each other. I did see that it was in development. That's so cool. Dana Klein is amazing. She changed my character's name to Cecilia and made her a Cuban girl from Miami. It was so cool to get to bring out my roots and showcase, you know, a little chonga from Miami to CBS. I am starting to notice more Latino characters in mainstream media that don't necessarily have an overly detailed backstory; they can just exist and be who they are. Totally. That was probably the biggest compliment to me. In 'Heart Eyes,' this character of Monica was an open ethnicity [role]. I just happened to be Latina. I had gotten sick of only reading or booking things specifically for Cuban girls. There was a time that you just needed to be Cuban and were asked, 'Do you speak fluent Spanish? Were you raised speaking Spanish?' It had to be [this] exact Latin story for you to be able to tell it. I don't think that's realistic or how it works. I think we all share a lot of things in our different cultures. And I was so proud that this role had nothing to do with being Hispanic. I happen to be Latina. The writer is letting me showcase that, but that's not why I booked it. And that was such a compliment to me.
See - Sada Elbalad
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Austin Butler's "Caught Stealing" Sets 2025 Release, "Insidious 6" Pushed Back to August 2026
Yara Sameh Sony Pictures Sony has given the August 29 release date originally set for 'Insidious 6″ to the Darren Aronofsky-directed "Caught Stealing", starring Austin Butler. The next 'Insidious' entry has been pushed nearly a year, to August 21, 2026. The next installment of the Blumhouse Productions horror property, co-produced by Screen Gems, was confirmed to be in the works in May 2024. No further details were shared at the time. The latest 'Insidious' film, 'The Red Door,' saw series star Patrick Wilson return and also make his feature directorial debut. It was released July 7, 2023, and grossed $189 million worldwide against a $16 million budget. The incoming entry is different from 'Thread: An Insidious Tale,' an in-universe series spin-off that was first announced in May 2023 and is said to star Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani, with Jeremy Slater attached to write and direct. Barring no other 'Insidious' installments releasing before this newly announced one, this would mark the sixth entry in the horror franchise and the first since 'Insidious: The Red Door,'. Since launching in 2010 with director James Wan, the 'Insidious' franchise has collectively grossed more than $730 million globally. While the franchise has played musical chairs over the years with distributors, moving from FilmDistrict to Focus Features to Universal to Sony, Jason Blum's Blumhouse Productions has been behind every installment, co-producing with various other production banners. Screen Gems returns for the newly announced feature entry after joining 'Insidious: The Red Door.' Ahead of the release of 'The Red Door,' Blum gave an interview with DiscussingFilm in which he teased a lengthy hiatus for the franchise, saying that that fifth entry 'Is going to be the last we're going to see of 'Insidious' for a while' and that 'It may not be a forever rest, but it's certainly going to be a very long rest. … There's not a plan — as there has been with every prior 'Insidious' movie — there's no current plan in place for number six.' In the release moves, Sony also announced that an untitled Marvel film, originally set for a June 27 premiere, has been removed from the release calendar. The decision comes after their 'Spider-Man' spinoff 'Kraven the Hunter' bombed. It was released on December 12 and grossed $61 million worldwide against a budget north of $110 million.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sony Sets Austin Butler Crime Thriller ‘Caught Stealing' for August, Pushes ‘Insidious 6' to Fall 2026
Sony Pictures has set Darren Aronofsky's upcoming thriller 'Caught Stealing' for release on August 29 while moving the previously slated sixth installment in Blumhouse's 'Insidious' series to August 21, 2026. Based on the book of the same name by Charlie Huston, 'Caught Stealing' will star Austin Butler as Hank Thompson, a burned-out former baseball player, who is unwittingly plunged into a wild fight for survival in the downtown criminal underworld of '90s NYC. Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Liev Schreiber, Matt King and Bad Bunny also star. Sony released the previous installment in the 'Insidious' series, 'The Red Key,' through Screen Gems in July 2023. The film grossed $189 million worldwide against a $16 million budget. Both 'Caught Stealing' and 'Insidious 6' will be released in the end-of-summer period where thrillers and horror films tend to fill the release slate. There are no wide releases currently set for release alongside 'Caught Stealing,' with films set for release earlier in August including Universal/DreamWorks' sequel to 'The Bad Guys' and an untitled Paul Thomas Anderson film from Warner Bros. that will have Imax support. The post Sony Sets Austin Butler Crime Thriller 'Caught Stealing' for August, Pushes 'Insidious 6' to Fall 2026 appeared first on TheWrap.
