Dead by Daylight Film Moves Forward With Conjuring Writer, Alexandre Aja

The long-awaited Dead by Daylight movie is taking a major step forward.

Horror powerhouses Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster have hired David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Alexandre Aja to write the feature adaptation of Dead by Daylight, the hit multiplayer horror game from Behaviour Interactive.

The film rights were first picked up in 2023, and now the project is officially moving into script development.

A Unique Horror Team-Up

This marks the first time Johnson-McGoldrick and Aja have worked together — and it’s a strong pairing for horror fans.

Johnson-McGoldrick has been a key creative force in The Conjuring Universe, working closely with producer James Wan. His credits include:

• The Conjuring 2

• The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

• The Conjuring: Last Rites

• Aquaman

• Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

He also co-wrote a recent installment in the Insidious franchise and contributed 14 episodes to The Walking Dead.

Aja, meanwhile, is known for his intense and visually striking horror films. His directing credits include:

• Haute Tension

• The Hills Have Eyes

• Piranha 3D

• Crawl

• Never Let Go

Although Aja is co-writing the script, he will not direct the movie. He is currently attached to direct Under Paris 2 for Netflix. With writers now in place, the studios have begun searching for a director.

What Is Dead by Daylight About?

Launched in 2016, Dead by Daylight has become one of the most popular horror multiplayer games in the world, with over 60 million players globally.

The game centers on four survivors trapped in a nightmare realm. They must repair generators to escape while being hunted by a killer. The killer’s goal is to capture and sacrifice them on hooks to satisfy a mysterious force known as The Entity.

The franchise has expanded far beyond gaming. In addition to console and PC releases, it has inspired board games, comics and other merchandise.

Producers and Vision

Producers on the adaptation include:

• James Wan

• Jason Blum

• Stephen Mulrooney of Behaviour Interactive

Executive producers include Remi Racine, Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Ryan Turek and Russell Binder.

In a statement, Jason Blum said the writing team brings “a rare balance of character-driven storytelling and relentless genre intensity.” He described the project as blending survival horror with psychological terror — a combination meant to attract a director who can bring scale and strong performances to the screen.

Stephen Mulrooney added that the script honors the game’s dark world, calling it “a nightmare” that deserves a visceral cinematic treatment.

What Happens Next?

With the screenplay now in development, the next major step is hiring a director. Given the pedigree of the creative team and the game’s massive fanbase, the Dead by Daylight movie is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated horror adaptations in development.

For fans of survival horror, this adaptation could finally bring The Entity’s terrifying world to the big screen.