Buzz
The global television market is preparing for the arrival of many major adaptations from popular video games.
After decades of struggling to adapt video games into successful films, major studios are shifting their focus to television - a realm brimming with potential in recent years. This move is deemed quite reasonable as blockbuster games often have complex narratives that cannot be condensed into a single film, typically lasting only 2 - 3 hours.
Currently, numerous game-to-series adaptations are in the works by major brands. These include animated series like Castlevania on Netflix, Halo on Paramount+, and The Last Of Us on HBO, which premiered on January 16th and has received high praise from both critics and audiences alike. And that's just the beginning for a future with many television projects inspired by the world's leading gaming brands.
Assassin's Creed
Assassin’s Creed was previously brought to the silver screen in a film project in 2016. However, the first attempt to adapt this science fiction game genre inspired by real historical events did not achieve the expected success, with box office revenue totaling only around $241 million. The film also faced mixed reviews from the Assassin’s Creed fan community despite the presence of renowned actor Michael Fassbender.
Prior to the release of the aforementioned film, Ubisoft negotiated with Netflix to produce a series of animated films for their popular gaming franchise. By 2020, Netflix revealed that they were working on multiple Assassin’s Creed projects, including a live-action film, an anime, and an animated series. Recently, some sources have indicated that producer Jeb Stuart has withdrawn from the live-action television project due to creative differences.
Fallout
Fallout is the renowned post-apocalyptic science fiction game series from Bethesda Softwork. In recent iterations, Fallout has offered players a fully open world, with numerous dialogue and action choices to create the most diverse and surprising experiences. And soon, Fallout will be adapted into a television series under the helm of Amazon Prime Video.
Geneva Robertson-Dworet, the writer of Tomb Raider and Captain Marvel, has been chosen as the main producer for Fallout. Meanwhile, Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell will also be featured in this series in undisclosed roles. The image above is the first teaser that Amazon released in October 2022.
Mass Effect
Similar to Fallout, Mass Effect is a franchise with enough depth in its story, world, and characters to become a television sensation. This RPG series set in space revolves around Commander Shepard, whom players create while exploring humanity's space. On the journey to unite races against a common enemy, Shepard will meet and bond with many different characters, each with different personalities and purposes.
In 2021, EA and Amazon engaged in extensive negotiations regarding the rights to produce a television series based on Mass Effect. Amazon aims to expand the already vast world of this game series, while also placing high expectations on its adaptation project. Despite the positive negotiation process, they have yet to make any official announcements regarding the production of Mass Effect.
Alan Wake
The game title Alan Wake made a spectacular comeback with a remake version in 2021, once again bringing back the deeply haunting and Twin Peaks-inspired atmosphere to the global gaming community. This return holds even more significance as Remedy Entertainment has confirmed the production of a sequel game in 2023, alongside a television series adaptation developed by AMC.
In fact, Remedy Entertainment has been collaborating with Contrarian Films on this adaptation project since 2018, based on the original plans for Alan Wake 2. In 2022, the rights to Alan Wake were sold to AMC, the same entity striving to bring the intriguing mysteries of this game series to the small screen.
Knuckles
In recent years, the lightning-fast hedgehog Sonic has experienced a remarkable breakthrough with the game Sonic Frontiers and the unexpected success of the blockbuster animated film Sonic the Hedgehog. Perhaps this is why Paramount Pictures has decided to expand this franchise, with a spin-off film series dedicated to the character Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
As planned, this series is set to be released in 2023, although the exact timing has yet to be determined. Additionally, another unrelated animated series named Sonic Prime made its debut on Netflix in December 2022.
Life is Strange
Life is Strange by Dontnod Entertainment once caused a sensation among gamers with its endearing characters and captivating storyline, offering profound choices for contemplation. Unlike other heavy-handed narratives, Life is Strange could seamlessly transition into a television series thanks to its inherently compelling and logical script.
Hulu emerged victorious in the battle for the rights to produce the Life is Strange series. In 2021, they announced musician/singer Shawn Mendes as the producer of this television project. This could be seen as a positive signal for Life is Strange, given the original games provided many memorable tunes for gamers. However, at this point, it's challenging to confirm whether this series will retell the original story of Max and Chloe or explore a different and fresher scenario.
A Plague's Tale
While the selected titles for adaptation into films are long-established and well-known brands, A Plague’s Tale still remains relatively new within the gaming community. This game recounts the tale of two siblings, Amicia and Hugo de Luna, and their journey of survival after a devastating plague ravages and decimates France in the 14th century.
The television adaptation of A Plague’s Tale was announced in early 2022 and is being helmed by French director Mathieu Turi along with producers Mediawan, Asobo, and Focus Entertainment. This series will also be filmed in France to stay faithful to the original. However, the specific release date for A Plague’s Tale has yet to be determined.
Twisted Metal
In recent years, Sony has become a major force in developing projects adapted from video games. In just the past year, they've released the Uncharted movie and The Last Of Us TV series, both beloved gaming brands. In August 2023, they will release a project based on the iconic game Gran Turismo.
Additionally, Sony is actively developing a film series based on the once-popular “vehicular combat racing” franchise, Twisted Metal, slated for release on the Peacock platform. This film will feature stars like Stephanie Beatriz, Anthony Mackie, Thomas Haden Church, Richard Cabrel, and wrestler Samoa Joe - who will portray the iconic character Sweet Tooth. The project wrapped in August 2022 and is likely to debut this year.
Horizon
Sony's latest famous gaming franchise, Horizon, will soon be adapted into a television series in the near future. The story of a post-apocalyptic world filled with sentient machines exhibiting animalistic behaviors in both prehistoric and modern times provides excellent material for a science fiction film. The main character of this game series is Aloy, who discovers a mysterious device of the “Old Ones,” granting her vast amounts of information and a diverse perspective of the world around her - a world she must strive to save.
This television project is still relatively new as it was only announced by Netflix in early 2022. All we know so far is that Horizon will be developed by Steve Blackman, known for his work as a writer and producer on projects like Fargo and The Umbrella Academy.
God of War
God of War is one of Sony's oldest and most famous gaming franchises, with its allure showing no signs of waning to this day. This series has taken players on a journey with Kratos, experiencing captivating stories from Greek mythology, and most recently, Norse mythology.
In December 2022, Sony officially gave the green light to a television project adapted from God of War. Some information suggests that this series will be set in the Norse era, with the script being handled by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. Rafe Jenkins, the producer of The Wheel of Time, has been chosen as the showrunner for God of War. Meanwhile, Cory Balrog, the creative director of the original game series, will serve as one of the main producers of this series.
