Synopsis

After the mysterious death of a friend, a group of young gamers discovers a new horror game based on the legend of Elizabeth Bathory, the so-called Blood Countess. As they play, events from the game begin to mirror real-world deaths. The players must uncover the game's secrets and survive its supernatural rules before the virtual horror claims them all.

Factoids & Trivia

• Stay Alive was released in U.S. theaters on March 24, 2006, through Hollywood Pictures, making it one of Disney's rare ventures into slasher-style horror.

• Filming took place in Louisiana, including the New Orleans area, from May 6 through June 10, 2005. The main production was completed in about 25 days.

• The story uses the real historical figure Elizabeth Bathory as its supernatural centerpiece. The film relocates her legend from Hungary to New Orleans and changes the historical setting for fictional purposes.

• The game's old-fashioned camera is a visual reference to the survival-horror video game series Fatal Frame, also known as Project Zero in some markets.

• The mansion seen in the fictional game resembles the setting from Sega's 1996 light-gun game The House of the Dead.

• The filmmakers originally wanted an R rating, but footage was removed to secure a PG-13 release. A later director's cut restored approximately 15 minutes of material.

• The film was produced by McG's Wonderland Sound and Vision among its production partners and had an estimated budget of $20 million. It earned approximately $27.3 million worldwide.

• Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the film on DVD in the United States on September 19, 2006.