Sony is reportedly developing three new movies and seven TV shows based on its existing PlayStation video game properties. While adaptations of video games have generally been heavily panned in the film industry, recent movies like Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog and shows like The Witcher have begun to change that negative image. As one of the biggest game publishers globally, Sony has many popular properties it could potentially adapt.
With public opinion slowly softening towards the idea of video game adaptations, several major movies and shows are currently planned for release in the next few years. Netflix has recently announced multiple series – both animated and live-action – set in the Assassin’s Creed and Resident Evil universes. Oscar Isaac was reportedly cast as Solid Snake in an upcoming Metal Gear Solid movie. Recent adaptations like Castelvania, The Witcher, and Sonic the Hedgehog are all currently developing further installments.
It sounds like Sony is now also looking to get into the adaptation game in a significant way. In a recent interview with CNBC, via Media Post, Sony Pictures chairman and chief executive officer Tony Vinciquerra said the company is currently developing three movies and seven TV shows based on PlayStation game franchises. “We have a program within the company called One Sony,” Vinciquerra said. “You’ll be seeing a lot more integration of Sony companies together.” It’s unclear whether the Tom Holland-led Uncharted film or HBO’s recently announced The Last of Us series are part of that number, or if all ten projects are new and yet to be announced.
As branded multimedia content becomes more central to the entertainment industry, Sony stands in a unique position as both a major game publisher and film production company. Most game adaptations are developed by outside studios through rights deals, as the game companies themselves don’t have the capability of developing high-budget film or TV iterations on their own. However, Sony doesn’t have that problem, as it holds a major spot in both industries internationally.
The reception to the Uncharted movie could be telling of Sony’s future in-game adaptations. It’s not the company’s first such venture (2016’s animated Ratchet & Clank movie was a critical and commercial failure), but it will be Sony’s most high-profile attempt to date. While fans wait to judge Holland’s Nathan Drake for themselves, they can also speculate on what other projects Sony might be working on in secret. An anime God of War show? A high-budget Killzone limited series? The Sly Cooper movie that never happened? Only time will tell.
Sources: MediaPost, CNBC