Amazon’s Prime Video will be making a video game themed TV series.
The streaming service has greenlit a series based on the acclaimed PlayStation game God of War. The Wheel of Time’s Rafe Judkins will work as showrunner on the adaptation, and Oscar candidates Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Children of Men, Iron Man) are directing and executive producing with Judkins.
Sony Pictures TV and Amazon Studios are producing God of War in association with PlayStation Productions.
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, we are honored to share in the adventure of exploring the God of War mythology in such a momentous way with Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and [game developer] Santa Monica Studio.
Vernon Sanders, head of global television at Amazon Studios
The series, in development since March, will follow Kratos, the God of War, who banishes himself from his blood-soaked past in ancient Greece and hangs up his weapons permanently in the Norse realm of Midgard. “When his wife half passes away,” the program’s description states, “Kratos sets off on a journey with his child to spread her ashes from the highest peak– his partner’s final wish. Kratos quickly realizes the journey is an impressive mission in disguise, one which will evaluate the bonds in between father and son, and force Kratos to fight brand-new gods and beasts for the fate of the world.”
First released in 2005, God of War has won critical praise for nearly all of its iterations. The 2018 release for the PlayStation 4 likewise won many awards, including game of the year at the Video Game Awards. The most recent video game in the series, God of War Ragnarok, debuted in November.
We are so proud and excited to be working with our friends at Amazon Studios and our partners at PlayStation Productions to adapt this beautiful and heartbreaking game into a premium live-action series, Rafe, Mark and Hawk are crafting a transportive series that charts a path through the ancient mythological journey of Kratos.
Katherine Pope, Sony Pictures TV President
Added PlayStation Productions head Asad Qizilbash, “God of War is among PlayStation’s most awarded game, so we’re delighted to partner with Sony Pictures TV and Amazon Studios to bring our franchise to fans and new audiences in a vibrant and authentic way.”
God of War joins a growing list of high-profile series based on video games, including Halo on Paramount+ and HBO’s upcoming The Last of Us. Sony and PlayStation Productions are behind The Last of Us, along with series based on Twisted Metal (Peacock) and Horizon (Netflix).
Judkins, Fergus, and Ostby are executive producing God of War with Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog, PlayStation Productions’ Qizilbash and Carter Swan, Santa Monica Studio’s Yumi Yang and Vertigo’s Roy Lee. Santa Monica Studio’s Jeff Ketcham is co-EP
