In news that sounds a heck of a lot like an April Fool's joke, the indie survival game We Happy Few is joining the likes of Resident Evil, Assassin's Creed, and Hitman in the video game movie pantheon. Variety reports that Pitch Perfect producer Gold Circle Entertainment and dj2 Entertainment are set to bring it to life.
The We Happy Few production is currently seeking writers to pen a script. It's not clear what involvement developer Compulsion Games has with the project, but head dev Guillaume Provost says dj2 executives were enthusiastic when bringing the adaptation pitch to the studio.
"[dj2 Entertainment] approached us enthusiastically with really solid ideas about how to adapt our game to film while retaining its menace, dark humor, and central themes,” said Provost. CEO of dj2 Dmitri Johnson added that the company's goal is to "make a movie that remains true to the source material, while still surprising fans."
This isn't the first video game adaptation dj2 has worked on. The company is currently producing movies based on Sleeping Dogs and Sonic the Hedgehog. In the past, it's worked on an animated Skulls of the Shogun series and a Hawken short.
I find this news quite surprising. We Happy Few made a pretty big impression when its trailer debuted at Microsoft's 2016 E3 press conference, but it's still in Early Access on Steam. When most of the video game movies being made are based on heavyweight franchises that have proven their popularity, it's surprising to see a relatively small indie game garner this type of adaptation.
However, I'm not against it. I actually welcome the adaptation of any and all video games into film. I enjoy seeing a director's take on a series I know and love. Mortal Kombat, the first three Resident Evil movies, and Warcraft are a handful of the adaptations that I actually liked—all of these movies have their problems, but they're fun, silly, and ultimately enjoyable. The recent Silent Hill movie was just awful, though.
Many scripts aren't eventually produced into movies, but hopefully we'll see We Happy Few on the big screen. We'll keep you updated.
