The video game genre appears to finally be turning a corner after spending decades being labeled as cursed, with big screen console adaptations beginning to see some sustained critical and commercial success. There’s still a long way to go, though, and the reaction to the first trailer for Paul W.S. Anderson’s Monster Hunter just goes to show that not every movie will be capable of continuing the recent hot streak.
However, television looks to be providing another major creative outlet, with Netflix’s The Witcher receiving rave reviews and going on to become both one of the streaming service’s most popular original shows ever and a full-blown cultural phenomenon. Not only is a prequel spinoff in the works, but the company are hoping that lightning strikes twice with the recent announcement that an Assassin’s Creed series is also in development.
Insider Daniel Richtman is now claiming, though, that Netflix are circling a third AAA video game property as well after reporting that a God of War TV show is coming together behind the scenes. There’ve been murmurings over the last year or so that the acclaimed 2018 game would be getting the feature film treatment, with Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista linked to Kratos and Ares respectively, but God of War director Cory Barlog previously voiced his desire to see the instant classic be adapted as a Netflix series instead.
The main issue with video game movies and TV shows has always been trying to turn something that’s designed as an immersive player-controlled experience into something that engages fans and non-fans alike when they’re forced into taking a passive role, but the heavy mythological elements and sense of scale that comes with God of War would certainly make it an ideal candidate for the episodic format.
