Sony under fire for omitting Until Dawn writers in film credits

A former PlayStation narrative director has launched a petition urging the creators of the Until Dawn movie to properly credit the original game's writers in the film adaptation.

As reported by Eurogamer, Kim MacAskill's petition demands that Sony "revise their approach to IP crediting, particularly in transmedia adaptations," specifically asking the company to "set a precedent by updating the Until Dawn credits."

"While the film director and screenwriters received credit, Sony simply labeled the movie as 'based on the Sony game' without acknowledging the talented developers who spent years crafting this iconic experience," MacAskill explained. "These creators deserve recognition - their names should be known, not erased."

The former Sony creative expanded on these concerns in a LinkedIn post, highlighting the contrast with HBO's The Last of Us adaptation which properly credited both Naughty Dog and creative director Neil Druckmann.

MacAskill revealed troubling conversations with Sony executives who reportedly told her: "The IP I personally created would NEVER be credited to me as I was salaried (no royalties, no control, no ownership, no acknowledgement)." She directly questioned Sony about the apparent double standard regarding Druckmann's credited role versus other creators.

When inquiring about rights to her own creations, MacAskill was allegedly told this was "firm-wide policy" rather than a personal decision, with Sony representatives stating they "understood" her position but couldn't make exceptions.

"All I wanted was proper credit and some stake in adaptations," MacAskill added. "Not control, just acknowledgment for work that shaped these stories."

The petition calls for Sony to implement executive producer credits or equivalent recognition for original creators in media adaptations, arguing this would "honor the visionaries who birthed these transformative stories" while setting a better precedent for the industry.

"We must advocate for proper creative recognition," MacAskill writes. "By ensuring credit where it's due, we can inspire future generations of storytellers to dream bigger."

In related news, Sony appears to be promoting the film with the imminent PlayStation Plus release of Until Dawn Remastered in May 2025. Unfortunately, the film itself proved disappointing in our IGN review, earning just 5/10 for abandoning the game's potential in favor of generic horror clichés.