Video games and movies are becoming best friends. From the rising popularity of game-to-screen adaptations to game engines reworked for film, technology is blurring the lines between watching and playing. Now, two respected companies are coming together to create video game, movie magic.
The motion picture financing, production and global sales company Good Universe has joined forced with the award-winning indie game developer Campo Santo. Their first project? A film adaptation of the developer’s first game Firewatch.
Good Universe offers creative collaboration and financial support in the film industry, working on a variety of film genres from comedy (My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2) to horror (The Forest). Company founders Joe Drake and Nathan Cahane were also involved in Sam Raimi’s Don’t Breathe for Sony. Campo Santos, although a young company, is comprised of video game industry veterans whose work includes Bioshock 2, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Ori and the Blind Forest and more.
“When we met Good Universe we were floored by how they recognize, cultivate and produce incredible stories,” Campo Santo founder, Sean Vanaman said while announcing the partnership deal to the The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s rare you meet another group that shares so many of your values and makes the process of creating things even more exciting. We can’t wait to see what we make together.”
As for Good Universe, they wanted to team up with Campo Santo for their “utterly beguiling storytelling and amazing creative instincts.”
The partnership will involve the creation of content for both video games and film, a one-stop shop for franchise creation and sales.
Firewatch, which has sold nearly one million copies to date, tells the story of a fire lookout named Henry who uncovers clues in the Wyoming wilderness about mysterious occurrences. Isolated, he is able to communicate only with his supervisor through a walkie-talkie. Adding to the suspense, a shadowy figure keeps watching him from afar.
There is no word yet as to whether the film will be a direct adaptation, sequel, prequel or entirely new story set in the wilderness.
