Amazon MGM Studios has officially greenlit a TV adaptation of the critically acclaimed video game Life Is Strange, nearly a decade after initial announcements. The series will be helmed by Charlie Covell, known for her work on The End of the F***ing World and Kaos, who is serving as creator, showrunner, and executive producer. Production partners include Square Enix, the IP holders, Story Kitchen—producers of the Sonic the Hedgehog films—and Margot Robbie's LuckyChap company.
The TV series is set to follow the story of Max Caulfield and Chloe Price, the pioneering characters of the original 2015 Life Is Strange game developed by the French studio Dontnod Entertainment. Central to the plot is Max's ability to rewind time, a mechanic that drives the game's narrative tension. Despite this, Amazon's announcement notably excluded any involvement from the original game developers or writers.
This exclusion drew immediate criticism from Christian Divine, the lead writer of the original game, who took to social media to lament that "the only people not involved are the creators." Similarly, Dontnod's executive producer Luc Baghadoust publicly expressed honor at the adaptation but noted the absence of the original studio in promotional materials. The franchise's later entries have been developed by Deck Nine Games after Dontnod's departure from the series.
The divide in involvement highlights a persistent trend in video game adaptations: studios and production companies often proceed without direct participation of original game creators, potentially impacting narrative fidelity. Fans have expressed mixed reactions, concerned how the show will handle the game's branching narrative and player choices, which are integral to the franchise's appeal.
The announcement arrives amid a surge of video game IP adaptations into television and film. Amazon itself is developing several projects including the Tomb Raider series featuring Sophie Turner, a God of War adaptation, and another upcoming Fallout season. Other recent developments include Paramount's Call of Duty movie and the upcoming Street Fighter film release.
Production details such as casting, filming schedules, or release dates for the Life Is Strange series remain undisclosed. Yet this announcement underscores the growing intersection between the gaming industry and streaming platforms, though continuing tensions about creative control and respecting original creators persist amid these collaborative multimedia efforts.
As the gaming industry sees increased unionization and advocacy for creators' rights, the absence of Dontnod from this adaptation serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in translating interactive experiences into linear storytelling formats within the entertainment business.
