More games to hit small screen: Cuphead and Disco Elysium adaptations underway

Last week, the Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM has partnered with the production company dj2 Entertainment to create a TV show based on the game.

“We’re so gratified at the response Disco Elysium has received, and very happy to be teaming with dj2 to expand the franchise for other media and new audiences,” said Helen Hindpere, lead writer of ZA/UM, via Variety.

The 2019 indie hit received universal acclaim for its narraitve and was even named one of the best games of the decade by Time Magazine.

dj2 is currently looking for writers. Once they have been found, the next step will be to start pitching the TV show to networks and streaming services. The company hopes to do it later this year.

Meanwhile, Netflix, King Features, and Studio MDHR are working an animated series The Cuphead Show based on platformer Cuphead. There’s a teaser for the show, which, unlike Disco Elysium, has been in production for quite some time. With no exact release date, it is “coming soon” to Netflix.

Take an inside peek at the intricate, nostalgic design of The Cuphead Show! pic.twitter.com/EF0kpAi973

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) June 26, 2020

While it’s nothing new for video games to be adapted for the big and small screens, last year’s Netflix debut of The Witcher franchise seems to have made a particularly strong case for the synergy between the two media. In March, Craig Mazin, the creative mind behind HBO’s Chernobyl, announced he would work with Neil Druckmann to adapt the PlayStation exclusive The Last of Us into a TV show. At the time, Sony Pictures Television Studios said more PlayStation hits might be adapted for television in the future.