The horror world is about to get a new playground. Blumhouse–Atomic Monster and Canadian gaming studio Behaviour Interactive have officially tapped David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Alexandre Aja to write the adaptation of Dead by Daylight movie, the hit multiplayer horror game that has quietly grown into one of the genre’s most enduring modern properties.
The announcement signals more than just another video game adaptation. It brings together two very different creative forces under the banner of two of horror’s most commercially successful production houses.
Dead by Daylight, first released in 2016, has evolved into a global phenomenon. The asymmetrical multiplayer game pits four survivors against one killer in a nightmarish realm controlled by a mysterious supernatural force known as The Entity. Its structure allows for both original killers and licensed horror icons, creating a crossover-friendly universe that has attracted tens of millions of players worldwide. With its expandable lore, flexible mythology and anthology-like structure, the property offers fertile ground for cinematic expansion.
On the production side, the collaboration is powered by Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster, the latter founded by filmmaker James Wan. The two banners have built a reputation for turning horror concepts into franchise engines. From The Conjuring Universe to Insidious and other genre successes, their model combines relatively contained budgets with strong creative oversight and scalable storytelling. A horror IP like Dead by Daylight fits squarely within that strategy.
David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick’s involvement suggests a clear emphasis on mythology. The screenwriter has been a key creative voice within The Conjuring Universe, contributing to major entries including The Conjuring 2 and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. His experience navigating interconnected horror narratives and expanding supernatural lore could prove crucial in adapting a game that thrives on backstories, character arcs and an overarching cosmic entity pulling the strings. Beyond horror, Johnson-McGoldrick has also worked on large-scale studio projects, demonstrating an ability to balance character-driven stakes with franchise architecture.
Joining him is French filmmaker Alexandre Aja, known for his visceral and kinetic approach to horror. Aja made his mark with intense genre entries such as The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha 3D and Crawl. His films often emphasize physical danger, survival tension and relentless pacing — elements that align closely with the core gameplay mechanics of Dead by Daylight, where survival under pressure is the central objective. While he is attached here as a writer, his creative voice is closely associated with grounded, high-stakes horror scenarios.
The pairing of Johnson-McGoldrick and Aja is particularly notable because the two have never collaborated before. Their backgrounds represent complementary strengths: one rooted in supernatural world-building and franchise continuity, the other in raw, immediate horror execution. If successfully combined, that dynamic could allow the film to capture both the mythic scope of the game’s lore and the stripped-down survival intensity that defines each match.
The timing also reflects a broader industry trend. Video game adaptations have experienced renewed momentum in recent years, with studios increasingly recognizing the built-in audiences and narrative potential these properties offer. Horror, in particular, has proven to be a reliable commercial space, especially when anchored by recognizable IP.
For Dead by Daylight, the cinematic challenge lies in choosing focus. The game’s universe contains dozens of killers and survivors, each with distinct backstories. The film adaptation will likely need to streamline that breadth into a cohesive narrative while preserving the atmosphere and thematic core that players recognize. The presence of The Entity as a central mythological force may offer a structural backbone for that transition.
As development progresses, the project stands as a meeting point between established horror filmmaking expertise and a live-service gaming universe with expansive narrative possibilities. With Blumhouse–Atomic Monster steering production and two seasoned genre voices shaping the script, Dead by Daylight is positioning itself as one of the more intriguing horror adaptations currently in development.
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