Pacific Drive Video Game Set for Upcoming TV Adaptation

Overview

Success stories such as The Last of Us have sparked interest in Hollywood for video game adaptations.
Pacific Drive, noted for its originality as a supernatural driving survival game, has garnered positive feedback.
A television series adaptation of Pacific Drive is underway, backed by James Wan’s Atomic Monster.

The realm of video gaming is increasingly becoming a rich source of intellectual property for Hollywood, particularly following the success of popular series such as The Last of Us, Secret Level, and Fallout. As interest in these adaptations swells, attention now turns to Pacific Drive, slated for an adaptation in 2024.

Launched in February, Pacific Drive has been well-received, achieving a commendable score of 79 on Metacritic. This debut title from Ironwood Studios, published by Kepler Interactive, transports players into a retro-futuristic Pacific Northwest, where they navigate a supernatural survival narrative. In this game, the player’s sole means of survival is their station wagon. They must scavenge essentials while navigating the treacherous landscapes of the Olympic Exclusion Zone. The game has also been nominated for Best Debut Indie at the 2024 Game Awards, highlighting its creative prowess.

Television Adaptation of Pacific Drive

Exciting news emerged as Variety reported that James Wan’s Atomic Monster has acquired the rights to adapt Pacific Drive into a television series. The project will see Michael Clear and Rob Hackett from Atomic Monster, along with Jeff Ludwig from The Menagerie Productions, serving as executive producers. Known for creating horror hits like Malignant and M3GAN, Atomic Monster also contributed to the 2021 adaptation of Mortal Kombat, which further adds to their expertise in bringing video game narratives to the screen. Their range extends to TV productions, having worked on titles such as Swamp Thing and Archive 81.

Celebrating the adaptation announcement, Ironwood Studios shared their enthusiasm on social media, stating, “We’re thrilled to announce our collaboration with Atomic Monster and James Wan to create a new TV series based on Pacific Drive! The overwhelming positive response has been remarkable—thank you all so much. We are eager to see what unfolds.” Currently, the project is in early development, indicating that no writing team, network, or streaming partner has yet been established. Given Pacific Drive is a first-person, player-driven game, its adaptation will likely require the inclusion of original characters to effectively convey its story, reminiscent of the approach taken in the Five Nights at Freddy’s film adaptation.

We’re happy to announce that we’re working with Atomic Monster and James Wan to develop a new tv show based on Pacific Drive! The positive reception to this news has been incredible, thank you all so much – we’re so excited to see what happens. See y’all in the Zone! â™¥ï¸\u008fð&Yuml;&scaron;&tilde;ð&Yuml;“º https://t.co/Wis76PgdtS — Ironwood Studios | Pacific Drive is Out Now ð&Yuml;&scaron;&tilde; (@ironwoodtweets) December 17, 2024

Emerging Trend in Video Game Adaptations

Pacific Drive emerges as the latest title in a growing trend of video game adaptations making headlines. Recently, the project for the Warhammer 40,000 series, featuring Henry Cavill, was confirmed for Prime Video, alongside a movie adaptation for Hello Neighbor. Additionally, Lionsgate has announced plans to adapt the classic horror game Outlast. The landscape is rapidly evolving, and when Pacific Drive ultimately premieres, it will join a robust lineup of video game adaptations capturing audiences on various platforms.

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