Twisted Metal fans are in for a treat. After yesterday’s teaser, Peacock and PlayStation Studios have dropped the first official trailer for the highly anticipated live-action adaptation.
The series will take inspiration from the video game series of the same name, so expect to see a post-apocalyptic world and cars armed with guns, for some reason. Anthony Mackie, who plays John Doe, leads a cast of familiar faces, including Neve Campbell from Scream, Will Arnett from Arrested Evelopment, and Stephanie Beatriz, whom you might know as the badass bisexual cop-turned-private investigator from Brooklyn 99.
It’s hard to tell what the show is all about based on the minute-long trailer alone. All we got is Mackie’s John Doe sitting in a car and telling us that it’s time to start our engines. But, hey, at least Sweet Tooth is here, the iconic murderous clown that’s sort of the official mascot of the series.
The Twisted Metal TV show does seem to get the tone and aesthetics right. Sweet Tooth, especially, looks menacing, thanks to the portrayal of Samoa Joe, a two-time All Elite Wrestling TNT Champion.
According to Peacock, the Twisted Metal series will premiere on July 27 with ten episodes. There’s no word yet if a Season 2 is on the way.
For the non-Millenials out there, Twisted Metal used to be one of PlayStation’s most popular franchises. The PlayStation-exclusive series was sort of a mix between Mad Max and Mario Kart with an intensified focus on violence and mayhem. It hasn’t been seen much in the past decade, but a reboot has been rumored for nearly as long as we’ve heard about the TV show.
The games had an interesting premise revolving around a deadly tournament of the same name with the winner getting whatever they wish for albeit with a dark and sadistic twist.
It isn’t clear if the Twisted Metal series will use this plot point or do something original.
Regardless, we can rest easy knowing that the story of Twisted Metal is in safe hands. The showrunners, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, are the writers behind both Deadpool and Zombieland films.
After decades of subpar and “unfaithful” adaptations, the last few years have seen video game adaptations break through and achieve mainstream popularity. Earlier this year, The Last of Us series skyrocketed to the top of the HBO charts while the Super Mario Bros. Movie is on track to make a billion at the global box office. It’s unsure if other adaptations are going to meet the same success but that won’t stop companies, especially Sony, from trying.
At the moment, Sony is either working on or has licensed its properties for more adaptations, including Horizon, Gran Turismo, God of War, and The Last of Us.
