Paramount TV and Anonymous Content have locked down the rights to produce a videogame adapted TV series based on EA’s critically acclaimed shooter, Battlefield. Ashley Zalta and 2016 Academy Award Winner, Michael Sugar, are set to be the executive producers of the project.
“Battlefield has a tremendous built-in, engaged fan base, making it a highly coveted piece of IP primed for long-form adaptation,” said Sugar. “Together with EA and Paramount TV, we’ll develop the Battlefield TV series with the same commitment to robust storytelling that has made the game such a runaway success for nearly fifteen years.”
Anonymous Content’s portfolio includes notable entries in both sectors of television and film, including such titles as Spotlight and True Detective. How the studio plans to adapt the primarily multiplayer shooter into a compelling narrative remains unclear, but EA executives are excited to see the results.
“Michael’s track record speaks for itself,” said Patrick O’Brien, Vice President of EA Entertainment. “Combined with his passion for Battlefield, we cannot imagine a better team than Anonymous Content and Paramount for this project.”
This marks the first movement for video games to begin being adapted into TV series and it feels rather stale. Battlefield games have never featured a particularly riveting or compelling narrative and the only reason I ever completed Battlefield 4’s was because I was able to unlock some exclusive guns. With no memorable characters to speak of, Anonymous Content has little source material to work with outside of a war placed setting. If the studio intends to replicate the feeling of the games instead of just making a boring piece of fiction, they really need to excite the existing fanbase with powerful action sequences and elaborate set pieces.
Battlefield 1 is the next entry into the videogame franchise and is set to release on October 21, 2016.
