MOVIE NEWS – The popular video game series God of War is getting a live-action adaptation, courtesy of Prime Video.

After years in development hell, the long-awaited live-action adaptation of God of War is finally finding a home. According to Deadline, Prime Video is currently in talks to produce a live-action series based on the popular action-adventure video games. The project is being developed by The Expanse creators and executive producers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, in collaboration with The Wheel of Time executive producer and showrunner Rafe Judkins, Sony Pictures TV and PlayStation Productions.

The God of War series of video games includes seven titles across four different Sony consoles, with the original God of War first released for PlayStation 2 in 2005, and most recently (2018) the God of War reboot of the same name for PlayStation 4, with a sequel in the works and expected to be released later this year. The story follows the ex-Spartan warrior Kratos on his journey to avenge the Greek god of war, Ares, after he kills his own loved ones under the influence of the deity. Having become a god of war himself, Kratos spends his days searching for a way to change his fate. The eighth game, God of War: Ragnarok, will be released in 2022 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

This news follows Amazon Studios’ recent production of another live-action series based on the popular video game franchise Fallout, starring Walton Goggins. The studio will also develop a Mass Effect adaptation to continue to keep up with the new trend of developing big budget video game adaptations. Elsewhere at Peacock, a Twisted Metal series starring Anthony Mackie has just arrived, while HBO is developing a series based on The Last of Us starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.

Fans have been clamouring for a God of War adaptation for years, and although there have been a few rumours and rumblings, the project never seemed to get off the ground. Last year, the New York Times reported that there were no plans to make a movie or TV series out of the game to coincide with the release of the upcoming video game. Perhaps the news that other major video game franchises are getting adaptations has reignited Sony’s interest in the long-delayed God of War adaptation.

“I’ve always been a fan of God of War. I thought the last one was just beautiful and phenomenal,” Pacific Rim: Uprising director Steven S. DeKnight said earlier in 2018, when he said he had his own hopes for the adaptation. “I’d love to tackle a God of War movie, or I’d love to see someone bring it to the big screen. Someone asked me, ‘Well, who would you want Kratos to be?’ And immediately for me: Dave Bautista would be the one. I think he can do anything. He can do the drama, the real emotion, the humour, the action. What would I like to see in a film like this? It’s a bit of a tricky question, because there hasn’t really been 100% success in translating a video game to film. It’s a very, very tricky process.”

Source: Deadline