Sony has created a studio called PlayStation Productions that will adapt its video games for the screen and it has been revealed that one of their first projects will involve turning the Twisted Metal series into a TV show.
The Twisted Metal video games involve a tournament where different characters take part in demolition derbies using specialized vehicles that are armed with weapons. The tournament was created by a mysterious individual named Calypso, who has the power to grant the wishes of those who take the number one spot, though the results of the wish are often not what the winner expected.
Sony recently announced that it will be handling its own screen adaptations with a new studio called PlayStation Productions. It has now been revealed, according to GamesRadar, that one of the first projects that will be handled by PlayStation Productions is a TV show adaptation of the Twisted Metal series. The announcement was made by Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra during an event that was held for investors, where he claimed that the agreement to make the show had only just been made, which suggests that Twisted Metal is still in the earliest stages of development.
Twisted Metal wasn't the only project discussed during the event, as Vinciquerra also confirmed that the Uncharted movie is in "advanced development." There have been Uncharted movie projects in the works since 2008, but the latest one seems like it will actually make it into production. The Uncharted movie will be a prequel to the games, with Tom Holland playing a young Nathan Drake.
There was a long period of time when movie and TV show projects based on video games tended to fail on both a critical and commercial level. Hollywood has been relying more and more on properties based on established franchises, and the video game market has been an untapped well for most studios. The recent glut of movies based on video games has led to a few successful projects, with Rampage performing well at the box office, while Detective Pikachu has been lauded as the film that broke the video game movie curse. It isn't all clear sailing for video game movie adaptations, however, as the trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog has been met with almost universal disdain since it was released. The Twisted Metal series feels like it would be a better fit for a movie in a similar vein to Mad Max, as the premise of vehicular destruction seems like it would be an expensive one to film. Twisted Metal is all about colorful and crazy characters taking part in Grand Theft Auto-style rampages, and that might be a difficult premise to stretch across a full series of a TV show.
Source: GamesRadar