Deadline (via SFFGazette.com) confirms that Prime Video has given its planned God of War TV show a series order. Based on the hit PlayStation video game franchise of the same name, the small screen adaptation is being co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios in association with PlayStation Productions.
Word of plans for a live-action take on God of War first found their way online in March, but this is a huge step forward. Written by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Iron Man, Children of Men), with Rafe Judkins (The Wheel of Time) serving as showrunner, the series will adapt 2018's hit God of War rather than the original games that were set in ancient Greece.
While continuing the story of the original games, the PS4 title also served as something of a reboot, taking Kratos to "Midgard" and pitting him - and his son - against all manner of foes from Norse mythology. Recently, a sequel, God of War Ragnarök was released that's continued the tale and been a huge hit.
"[God of War] follows Kratos, the God of War, who, after exiling himself from his blood-soaked past in ancient Greece, hangs up his weapons forever in the Norse realm of Midgard," reads the synopsis. "When his beloved wife dies, Kratos sets off on a dangerous journey with his estranged son to spread her ashes from the highest peak—his wife’s final wish."
"Kratos soon realizes the journey is an epic quest in disguise, one which will test the bonds between father and son, and force Kratos to battle new Gods and monsters for the fate of the world."
So, it's probably going to be a straightforward adaptation of the game! That means it has a lot to live up to, especially as the cinematic visuals and epic story won't be easy to pull off on television. Still, we're sure it will boast a massive budget and expect it to shake the story up to at least some extent.
Hopefully, we'll get flashbacks retelling Kratos' origin story as that would be very cool to see on screen.
"The 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," says Vernon Sanders, head of global television at Amazon Studios. "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 Santa Monica Studio."
"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," adds Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios. "Rafe, Mark and Hawk are crafting a transportive series that charts a path through the ancient mythological journey of Kratos."
Asad Qizilbash, head of PlayStation Productions, chimes in with, "God of War is one of PlayStation’s most awarded video games, so we’re excited to partner with Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios to bring our beloved franchise to fans and new audiences in a bold and authentic way."
God of War now joins a number of TV shows that have been given the green light, including Peacock's Twisted Metal starring Anthony Mackie and HBO's The Last of Us with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
Stay tuned for more God of War updates.