Amazon Prime Video has given a series order for an adaptation of Sony’s God of War franchise. The show will be co-produced by PlayStation Productions, the recently established film and TV arm of the company, as well as Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios. It will be written by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, who previously co-wrote The Expanse, Children of Men, and Iron Man together, with Rafe Judkins (The Wheel of Time, Uncharted movie) as the showrunner.
While negotiations over the series have been in the works since March, this news marks an official announcement. The series will adapt the events of God of War (2018), as Kratos, the former Greek God of War, sets out on a journey with his son, Atreus, to spread his wife’s ashes on the highest peak of Midgard. “The God of War is a compelling, character-driven franchise that we believe will captivate our global customers as much with its expansive and immersive worlds as its rich storytelling,” said head of global television at Amazon Studios, Vernon Sanders.
Cory Barlog, God of War’s creative director, will produce alongside other Santa Monica Studio staff members Yumi Yang and Jeff Ketcham. Casting has not yet been revealed. Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions, told Deadline,“God of War is one of PlayStation’s most awarded videogames, so we’re excited to partner with Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios to bring our beloved franchise to fans and new audiences in a bold and authentic way.”
God of War joins The Last Of Us as the latest Sony game to have a television show officially ordered, with Horizon and Twisted Metal series also in the works, alongside Gran Turismo and Ghost of Tsushima movies.
It will be interesting to see how the adaptation fills in viewers unfamiliar with the seven games that precede Kratos’ Norse adventures, as the 2018 title’s premise of a Greek God transplanted into Norse mythology may seem odd to those not versed in the popular action series. The game’s sequel, God of War: Ragnarok, was recently released to general praise, although it takes a while to get going. While adapting this franchise could be a tall order considering how generally beloved the last two entries are, it’s possible the leap to television may prove a better fit for this style of story.