A Disco Elysium TV series is in production according to Variety. The game proved to be a sleeper hit last year and garnered much acclaim. Developer ZA/UM is partnering with DJ2 Entertainment, co-producers of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, to bring Disco Elysium to life as a TV show. DJ2 was formed specifically to produce video-game-to-TV/movie adaptations. It is also working on projects involving the Vampyr and Life is Strange franchises from Dontnod Entertainment.
As of now, the project seems to be in its preliminary stages. D2J Entertainment is currently meeting with potential writers, and the show hasn’t even entered pre-production. There is also no streaming service or cable network attached. However, with Disco Elysium‘s mature themes, it can be assumed it will be targeted towards either streaming or a premium cable channel, which narrows the list of potential financiers down.
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DJ2 Entertainment struck gold on its first project, Sonic the Hedgehog. However, we haven’t seen if the studio can consistently produce quality products. While Sonic the Hedgehog turned out well and became the most successful film based on a video game of all time, I’m wary that Disco Elysium will translate to TV well.
One of the critical components of Disco Elysium‘s narrative structure is the main character’s internal struggles. These are told through characterizations of his bodily and mental faculties. I’m sure a TV show could find some way to pull this off, but I doubt it would have the same impact as a storytelling device as it does in the game.
I hope that the TV show augments Disco Elysium‘s story instead of retelling it. There’s a lot of stories to tell about Revachol and Martinaise, and I’d love to see more of life outside of the confines of the game.
There’s no hint of a release date for the Disco Elysium TV series right now. However, DJ2 Entertainment stated it’ll be pitching the series to networks and services later this year, so expect to hear more then.
