As video game adaptions skyrocket, we are seeing the most and least likely games going to the big screen. On the side of the less likely, a live-action Pac-Man movie is in the works, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The video game company behind the classic franchise, Bandai Namco Entertainment, is collaborating with Wayfarer Studios for the film.
The Pac-Man movie originated from the mind of Sonic the Hedgehog producer Chuck Williams from Lightbeam Entertainment. Justin Baldoni from Wayfarer and associates Andrew Calof and Manu Gargi will produce the film. Williams will produce with Tim Kwok. The project comes off a $125 million investment from co-founder Steve Sarowitz to expand the company’s production.
Pac-Man live-action movie in the works
Pac-Man originated in 1980 and became a staple for arcade gaming. Over the years, the yellow mascot went on to become a pop culture icon across its various other games, merchandise, TV series, and references in other media, like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Pixels, Wreck-It-Ralph, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
While a live-action Pac-Man may seem weird, it makes sense as video game adaptions are blowing up right now after successes like Sonic the Hedgehog and Pokémon Detective Pikachu. Sony is investing heavily in adapting its first-party games from its PlayStation catalogs, like this year’s Uncharted, which starred Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg. The company is planning movies and TV shows based on its games Ghost of Tsushima, Twisted Metal, The Last of Us, God of War, Horizon, and Gran Turismo. Other notable video game adaptions outside of PlayStation include Minecraft, Mario, Borderlands, and Metal Gear Solid. Recent releases have included The Witcher, The Cuphead Show!, and Halo.
Wayfarer is still in its infancy as a film studio. The company has made the CW series My Last Days and Disney Plus movie Clouds. It is currently working on the Pac-Man live-action movie, football drama The Senior, and coming-of-age drama-comedy Empire Waist.