Activison Blizzard has recently announced they will be throwing their hat into the Hollywood ring, opening their own film and television studio.
Activision Blizzard Studios will be devoted to creating original content based on the company’s extensive library of properties. Former Disney executive Nick van Dyk is set to co-head the division along with a senior creative executive to be announced soon.
This will include a television series about Skylanders, titled Skylanders Academy and will be under the supervision of Futurama writer Eric Rogers and will feature voice work from Justin Long as Spyro, Ashley Tisdale as Stealth Elf, Jonathan Banks as Eruptor and Norm Macdonald as Glumshanks. Additional voice talent includes Harland Williams and Richard Horvitz. As well as Skylanders Academy, Activision Blizzard Studios will be developing a cinematic universe for the Call of Duty franchise
In a press release by Activision Blizzard, Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick said “Activision Blizzard is home to some of the most successful entertainment franchises in history, across any medium. With the launch of Activision Blizzard Studios, our engaged fans can now watch the games they love come to life across film and television,”
Kotick added “We intend to approach film and television development with the same unwavering commitment to excellence we are known for in game development.”
In theory, there’s no reason why Warcraft, Starcraft, or Diablo couldn’t be great movies (however given the current cynicism surrounding the Warcraft movie, who knows if that will remain a theory). I’ve long supported the idea of videogame IP crossing over into other mediums, making them more widely accessible to a wider audience, as well as telling stories unique to a non-interactive medium. My only hope is that the Call of Duty movies don’t follow the game’s structure lest we see a movie every five months.
