Netflix has announced two new Gears of War projects with a live-action movie and an adult animated series. A commercial and critical success, the first entry in the franchise earned a slew of awards and nominations, including an incredible thirty Game of the Year awards. The success of the 2006 third-person shooter quickly led Gears of War's developers to double-down on the franchise, with the game, so far, spawning four sequels, as well as several spin-offs and tie-in media entries.Gears of War centers on the war between an alien horde called the Locust and the remnants of humanity led by the Coalition of Ordered Governments. Initially following protagonist Marcus Fenix and his fellow soldiers, the franchise later moved to focus on Marcus' son JD while also introducing a new threat called the Lambent. Although much of Gears of War's success can be attributed to strong storytelling and character development, the game also garnered heavy praise for its distinctive, gory gameplay. Thanks to the success of the franchise, a screen adaptation of Gears of War has been on the cards for years, but with movie rights passing between studios, any potential project has gone radio silent - until now.
Announced by Netflix on the 16th birthday of the first Gears of War title, the franchise is finally getting a well-deserved adaptation. Declared as a partnership between Netflix and developers The Coalition, Gears of War will receive both a live-action movie and an adult animated series. Further teasing the adaptation, Netflix also confirmed that there's potential for more stories in the universe to be developed after the confirmed two projects.
What The Gears Of War Movie And Show Could Be About
Despite the announcement, it's still unclear what the adaptations could involve. The most obvious route for Netflix would be to follow the path of their The Witcher series, with the Gears of War movie and subsequent series loosely adapting the game's origin story. It's hard to imagine an adaptation of the franchise that doesn't first explain the game's expansive backstory, and it's even harder to imagine an adaptation without series stalwart Marcus Fenix taking center stage. Regardless of how the series plays out, it's an incredible opportunity for Netflix to bring one of gaming's richest worlds and incredible stories to the screen.
While Gears of War fans are understandably excited by the announcement, with Netflix's track record, it's only natural for some gaming buffs to be skeptical. The streaming service can be quick with its cancelations, as Netflix's recent Resident Evil series after season 1. That being said, it's difficult to imagine that a Gears of War adaptation could be anything but a success, and if adaptations like The Witcher are anything to go by, gaming fans are in for a treat.
Source: Netflix