Video game adaptations aren’t simply relegated to the feature film world, it appears. Paramount Television announced today that it has teamed up with Anonymous Content and Oscar-winning producerMichael Sugar(Spotlight) to acquire the rights to theBattlefieldvideo games with an eye towards turning them into a compelling TV series.
EA’s first-person shooter game series began in 2002 with the release ofBattlefield 1942as a kind of rival to theCall of Dutyvideo game series. TheBattlefieldseries is now 13 games deep and EA is on the cusp of releasing the latest entry,Battlefield 1, the first main entry since 2013’sBattlefield 4, this October.
“Paramount TV actively seeks smart content from all sectors that will resonate with audiences and translate to compelling programming,” said Amy Powell, President, Paramount TV. “EA’sBattlefieldhas an incredibly dynamic narrative, coupled with a loyal fan base, which will allow us to bring this exciting and unique property to the small screen. We look forward to working with EA and Anonymous Content and thank Michael Sugar for his tenacity in bringing us this exciting project."
“Battlefieldhas a tremendous built-in, engaged fan base, making it a highly coveted piece of IP primed for long-form adaptation,” said Michael Sugar, partner, Anonymous Content. “Together with EA and Paramount TV, we’ll develop theBattlefieldTV series with the same commitment to robust storytelling that has made the game such a runaway success for nearly fifteen years.”
As of now, they’ve only just secured the rights so theBattlefieldTV series may be a ways off, but it’ll be interesting to see how they plan on bringing the games to the small screen. Surely network television is off the table, but will they go with a cable network like FX or HBO or will they follow the recent trend of streaming services and set this up with Netflix or Hulu? Time will tell. Watch the trailer forBattlefield 1below.
