From Pacific Power to Primetime: The Journey Toward a TV Adaptation

List by assignment of Ironwood Studios/Kepler Interactive.

Ironwood Studios’ Pacific Drive has a new television destination.

As reported by Variety, the vehicle-centric survival game is being adapted for the small screen by horror filmmaker James Wan’s production company, Atomic Monster. Michael Determined and Rob Hackett from the same company will serve as executive producers alongside Wan. No streaming service or network has yet been associated with the series.

Pacific Drive was released back in February for PlayStation 5 and PC and has surpassed 600,000 copies sold globally. In the game, players must use a modified vehicle to escape a restricted area in the Pacific Northwest while encountering gameplay-altering anomalies.

The title was nominated for Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards 2024 and won Best Game at Gamescom Latam’s BIG Festival Awards in June.

Game adaptations down the line

Pacific Drive is the latest addition to a lengthy list of video games that are being considered for television or film adaptations. Mass Effect, Minecraft, Alan Wake, and Control have all been acquired by major studios for future adaptations on Prime Video, Netflix, or in theaters.

Other adaptations of popular game franchises—such as Tomb Raider, Yakuza, and Fallout—debuted this year to positive reviews and renewals. Another game series, Arcane: League of Legends, wrapped up its second season back in November.

However, not every game is making it to screens. Ubisoft canceled its intended Splinter Cell adaptation decades after announcing the project in 2005. Meanwhile, Netflix’s attempt at a TV series based on PlayStation and Guerrilla Games’ Horizon series fell through after showrunner Steven Blackman faced allegations of workplace misconduct.

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