More and more studios are continuing to climb aboard the video game adaptation train. Neon recently entered the space with its new horror movie Exit 8, a feature take on Kotake Create‘s indie sensation that earned rave reviews in Japan and is set to hit U.S. theaters in April. Not to be left behind, A24 is preparing to make some major strides in the space, lining up a movie based on Hideo Kojima‘s Death Stranding and From Software‘s Elden Ring, as well as a rare foray into reality television with a competition based on Overcooked. Now, it’s time for Vice Studios to get involved.
Vice already has several major productions under its belt, most notably including the crime drama Gangs of London. Season 4 is currently in production, though, in the meantime, the banner also has the Saoirse Ronan-led dark comedy thriller Bad Apples slated for release in September after a premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. They’ve now partnered with Starbreeze Entertainment to bring the long-running first-person heist-em-up video game series Payday to life, securing the global rights for both film and television. It’s a big acquisition by the studio, as between its three installments, the franchise has built a community of over 50 million players while also scoring over $400 million in revenue to date.
Beginning with the original 2011 game from Overkill Entertainment, the Payday games are cooperative first-person shooters, casting players as a team of masked thieves constantly seeking bigger and often more dangerous scores. From jewelry store smash-and-grabs to proper bank heists, players continue to level up their skills and obtain better gear for more elaborate jobs that ascend all the way to hitting the White House itself and other extravagant locations that shake up the formula. It’s a mix of arcadey fun with some realism, with success requiring coordination, patience, and perhaps some hostage-taking to get everyone out with the goods before the police can take down the crew. Amy Powell, President of Vice Studios, sees film and television as an opportunity to expand on the world’s mythology that otherwise typically goes overlooked amid the chaos:
“Payday has a world that is bigger than the game itself. There’s mythology behind the masks and a crew of characters with real history that is incredibly exciting to explore. Partnering with Starbreeze Entertainment, we’re excited to build that universe and see how far it can go on screen.”
‘Payday’ Has Crossed Over With Some Massive Franchises Already
The leap beyond gaming shouldn’t be too surprising for Payday, considering its long relationship with some cinematic heavyweights. Payday 2, largely considered to be the best in the franchise, had a veritable vault of DLC added throughout its lifetime, including crossover packs that introduced missions based on locations and featuring figures from John Wick and Scarface. In fact, both Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino‘s titular characters were playable members of the Payday crew as part of these expansions. The series also brought in some major voice talents, too, with the late Lance Reddick reprising his role as Charon for the John Wick crossover and Giancarlo Esposito brought in as an original character, The Dentist. The latest installment of the franchise, Payday 3, hit PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S back in 2023.
via Collider