Sony Interactive Entertainment announced in anarticle for The Hollywood Reporter that it had opened PlayStation Productions, a studio that aims to independently bring the narratives of the company's games to films and series. The company is headed by Asad Qiziball under the supervision of Worldwide Studios president Shawn Layden.
In other words, it is quite possible that a production based on franchises such as God of War, Horizon: Zero Dawn, or The Last of Us may already be underway. It is not known whether second-party titles will also receive productions.
God of War, nominated for Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2018
We have 25 years of experience in game development, and that has created 25 years of excellent games, franchises, and stories. We believe now is a good time to look at other media opportunities, including streaming, film, and television, to bring our worlds to life from another perspective- Shawn Layden
Layden also cited Marvel, comparing his goal with what that company did. According to him, Marvel took the world of comic books and turned it into the most impactful thing in the cinematic world, and it would be an exaggeration to say that PlayStation Productions is following in its footsteps, although the company does serve as an inspiration.
An Uncharted film is on the way, despite having no connection to PlayStation Productions
The films and series will be created by the studio itself, going against the former tendency to leave franchises and characters in the hands of other companies, a practice that still persisted in 2019. Sony Pictures will help with distribution but will not influence the creative process.
Instead of licensing our brands to other studios, we think it is better to develop and produce them ourselves. First of all, because we are more familiar with the material, but also because we know what the PlayStation community wants.- Asad Qiziball
Shawn also adds that the decision to create the studio was intended to prevent other companies from failing to adapt the games properly, also noting that several older adaptations had failed to do so.
It becomes clear when you watch an older video game adaptation that the screenwriter or director did not understand that universe or this digital games business. The problem is, how do you take 80 hours of gameplay and make a film out of it? The answer is simple: you do not. What you should do is take that essence and write from there specifically for a film audience. You do not try to retell the game in a film."
The comment becomes even more relevant considering that this was the release year for two films adapting famous franchises: one that received a good response, and another that faced harsh criticism. It is worth noting that the first follows the philosophy Shawn proposes.
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As for the process of deciding what becomes a film and what becomes a series, Qiziball says it depends on the game. Since the goal is to expand the chosen universe, the selection should depend greatly on the story they want to tell and the size of the existing universe.
