Daybreak (2025 film)

Daybreak is a 2025 American apocalyptic supernatural horror thriller film directed by M. Night Shyamalan and produced by Jason Blum and Gabe Frost. It is loosely inspired by the SCP Foundation story "When Day Breaks". The film stars Gerard Butler, Lil Rel Howrey, Tina Fey, Rainn Wilson, and Greta Lee as five employees who have to navigate through a post-apocalyptic wasteland caused by the Sun, all while wax-like creatures ravage the barren landscapes.

Daybreak premiered in Los Angeles, California on June 11, 2025, and then released in theaters across the United States on June 20, 2025 by Universal Pictures. It received praise for its atmosphere and performances but criticism for its story, and grossed $102 million worldwide against a budget of $25 million.

Premise
"Strange things occur after a group of Hazzard employees seemingly find themselves in a once-beautiful world filled with sticky wax-like creatures that were once human."

-Universal Pictures

Cast

 * Gerard Butler
 * Lil Rel Howrey
 * Tina Fey
 * Rainn Wilson
 * Greta Lee

Development
The idea of the film came around in 2023 when producer Gabe Frost wrote down a script that involved a group of people who navigate an apocalyptic world caused by the Sun's deadly rays. The script was mostly inspired by the SCP Foundation's "When Day Breaks" story that Frost liked. After pitching the script to various producers, Jason Blum won the co-producing rights to the film.

Filming
Principal photography was shot around the Northern California region, particularly the Redding, Santa Rosa, and Sacramento cities in February 2024. Filming ended in July 2024 in San Diego.

Visual effects
The visual effects were provided by DNEG.

Release
Daybreak premiered in Los Angeles, California on June 11, 2025. It was then released theatrically in the United States on June 20, 2025.

Home media
The film was released on digital on July 15, 2025, and was released on DVD and Blu-Ray formats on August 12, 2025.

Box office
Daybreak grossed $65 million in the United States and Canada, and grossed $37 million in other territories, totaling up to $102 million

Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 64% based on 240 reviews, with an average rating of 6.91/10. On Metacritic, it has an score of 59 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".