In summer 2019, Sony Pictures made the PlayStation Productions, announcement–a new creative division that would develop new film and television projects based on their video games. It’s been over a year since we’ve heard much, but a new update has arrived from Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra.
Vinciquerra recently spoke with CNBC (via Media Post), where he teased a wave of future projects based on PlayStation properties mentioning three feature films and seven television series in the works. While Vinciquerra seemingly stopped short of naming what all those projects were, there’s so much content on Playstation that could be turned into a movie; the possibilities are nearly endless.
We already know that Sony is developing Naughty Dog games, and the live-action “Uncharted” feature film directed by “Venom” helmer Ruben Fleischer starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg is finally complete and expected to arrive in theaters on July 16, 2021.
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The equally popular “The Last of Us” is getting a series adaptation from “Chernobyl“‘s Craig Mazin and Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckman, which recently got a series order at HBO. A “Twisted Metal” series is also in the works and was announced by Vinciquerra during an investor meeting in 2019.
Recent successes like their new “God of War” game that explored Norse mythology and the visually stunning samurai game “Ghost of Tsushima” are strong contenders to be adapted into live-action projects in the future, given their massive popularity.
It would be smart not to rule out something like Hideo Kojima‘s incredibly cinematic PlayStation exclusive “Death Stranding.” The game already had a handful of established actors playing roles such as “Walking Dead” actor Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges, a delivery-man in a world devastated by a global event that cuts-off most of the population from each other, sound familiar? Margret Qualley, Mads Mikkelsen, Margret Qualley, Lea Seydux, Tommie Earl Jones, and Lindsay Wagner also added their voices to the game.
Sony Pictures is already turning Kojima’s “Metal Gear Solid” franchise into a feature film with director Jordan Vogt-Roberts at the helm. The studio recently announced that Oscar Isaac would portray Solid Snake in the project.
It would be smart for Sony Pictures to look beyond their “Spider-Man” franchise and their multiple spinoffs as audiences will certainly want more variety at some point. With the superhero rights scramble seemingly in the rearview, studios will likely be more active to secure video game IPs. Many studios are putting more effort and money into their video game film adaptations, as seen with the more kid-friendly “Sonic The Hedgehog” and “Detective Pikachu,” which have paid off at the box office.
Sony is no stranger to video game features as via Screen Gems, they’ve released six films in the “Resident Evil” franchise and the new film “Monster Hunter,” both based on beloved Capcom properties. More is definitely on the way. Any guesses?
