There was a time before our current era of blockbuster game adaptations when the mere notion of a Watch Dogs film would have been enough to send ripples through the gaming community. We’re diving back into the cybernetic saga of Ubisoft’s hacking-centric franchise, which, against all odds, is moving from development hell to pre-production reality.
The New Regency project, which was once a mere whisper among the rumor mill of potential video game films, now boasts a lineup that clearly moves it out of its previously speculative existence, according to a Deadline report.
French filmmaker Mathieu Turi, known for his recent work on the 2023 film The Deep Dark and as an assistant director on Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, is slated to direct. Christie LeBlanc, known for the Netflix drama Oxygen, is writing the screenplay, while Sophie Wilde, known for her role in the horror hit Talk to Me, is rumored to lead, likely as a hacker.
This trio hints at a project with potential, though details on how Turi and LeBlanc plan to approach the adaptation remain shrouded in mystery. The original Watch Dogs games, sprawling tech-noir odysseys through cityscapes, offer a rich narrative vein to mine with their iconic hacking heroics and dystopian drama narrative.
However, the essence of what makes Watch Dogs a hit among gamers – if we can even say that anymore – beyond the spectacle and thrill of virtual vigilantism, lies in its commentary on surveillance society and the power of information.
Despite the groundwork laid by its predecessors in the video game film genre, the upcoming Watch Dogs adaptation ventures into a territory that’s both common and ripe for innovation – and even more topical now than it was when the series first hit PCs and consoles.
Hacker-centric stories aren’t new to Hollywood, but the franchise’s focus on the omnipresent, interconnected digital web presents an opportunity to explore themes of privacy, control, and resistance in a world increasingly beholden to the whims of the digital space.
Films and TV shows like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and HBO’s The Last of Us have demonstrated a growing audience appetite for video game adaptations, marking a shift in focus from the now oversaturated superhero genre. This interest is largely attributed to video games’ unique, original stories, created for a distinct audience.
With filmmakers increasingly mastering the art of adapting video games to film, having well and truly broken The Curse™, they’ve unlocked a whole new world of storytelling possibilities, which has inevitably begun to attract an entirely new audience.
If Turi and LeBlanc can replicate even a fraction of the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, we’re certain it will kickstart a new wave of video game adaptations for film that are likely to endure for the foreseeable future.
For those who might be interested in dipping their feet into the Watch Dogs franchise, you can get the first installment on Steam for $29.99.
