The classic game Myst may be coming to the silver and small screens.
Village Roadshow Entertainment Group, the co-producers behind the Matrix and Sherlock Homes franchises, has just scored the TV and film rights to the influential graphic adventure puzzler, per TheWrap.
The company is expected to develop a multi-platform universe built on the original videogame in works including a film, as well as scripted and unscripted TV content.
Original co-creator Rand Miller is onboard with the project, as well as his brother Ryan Miller (not Robyn Miller, the brother with whom Rand originally created the franchise). Isaac Testerman and Yale Rice from Delve Media will lend a hand on the producing side.
After its release back in the ‘90s, Myst ushered in the CD-ROM era. A hulking step forward in gaming after it debuted in 1993 with what was then state-of-the-art graphics, the game transports players to a magical island, where they must solve series of puzzles. The puzzler, known for its difficulty, was also one of the first times a videogame was heralded as art.
The game is flush with intricate lore that we think is ripe for TV and film producers to mine for stories. Some more hardcore fans even had an almost religious attachment to the game’s complex mythology.
That built-in fanbase is sure to come in handy for any possible adaptations. After all, the game has sold 15 million copies worldwide. That number means something.
A film or TV series wouldn’t be the first Myst spinoff. The original game has inspired a wide array of sequels that sometimes follow different plot threads that span more than 10,000 years of history.
But the original story introduces us to Atrus, the grandson of the woman who discovered the lost D’ni civilization. The D’ni are mystical people who craft books that transport you to other worlds.
It’s no secret that there are more Hollywood flops than wins when it comes to videogame adaptations—just think of Super Mario Brothers. And the TV series would be a step into unfamiliar territory for Village Roadshow, which is more known for its film work. But with an original co-creator on board and a lush new world to mine, there’s reason to be excited about these new adaptations.