Until Dawn Game Writers Aren't in the Movie's Credits, and Some Aren't Happy About It

The Until Dawn movie adaptation made its debut in theatres over the weekend, and while its reception has been mixed, an omission in the credits is riling some people up.

Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick, the pair who wrote the enormous script for the PS4 horror adventure and its branching narrative, are not mentioned in the movie's end credits.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the writers say they "aren't surprised" about the exclusion, but the way they talk suggests they're not thrilled about it either.

"I didn’t assume anything, but I thought somebody would have bothered to throw in our names, even during the end credits," says Fessenden. "But there's no courtesy in show biz."

Apparently, despite the pair's considerable work on the series, they're not seeking credit, but would've been pleased to see acknowledgement nonetheless.

It appears the issue broadly sits with the Writers Guild of America, which seemingly doesn't have established rules about writing for interactive media.

"In TV and film, the ‘written by’ credit is a very specific term that is part of our union contract with the studios," Says Rob Forman, a member of WGA West Board of Directors. "Unfortunately, in video games, that kind of guarantee and protection doesn’t currently exist, so credit can be more arbitrarily determined by individual game companies."

Kim MacAskill, who is a former narrative director at PlayStation, made a statement on LinkedIn about this topic, showing her disapproval of the snub. In her view, the credits stating "based on the Sony game" is far from sufficient.

"They spent years breaking their brains to make something incredible, and the world deserves to know their names," she writes.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fessenden and Reznick "do not have sore feelings" about the Until Dawn movie, but worry that things aren't moving fast enough to ensure other writers are given the credit they deserve.

"I truly think that the guilds are not keeping up with how fast the industry is moving away from traditional media formats," Reznick says.

This has of course sparked debate online about whether those who worked on an original game should be recognised in the credits of its adaptation, which is of course its own project with its own staff and contributors.

Some fans argue that the pair didn't write the film, so it makes sense their names aren't present. Others take the view that the movie wouldn't exist without the beloved game and so a nod to those that made it would be appropriate.

Where do you fall on this? Should the Until Dawn game's writing team get a mention in the Until Dawn movie? Discuss in the comments section below.