Disco Elysium will be the next video game to receive a TV adaptation. According to Variety, developer ZA/UM is partnering with the production company dj2 Entertainment to adapt its 2019 indie hit. No writers are attached yet, though dj2 Entertainment is currently meeting with writers. The production company plans to pitch the series to networks and streaming platforms later this year.
Disco Elysium is an RPG that follows an amnesiac detective trying to solve a murder while uncovering his own past. Robert Kurvitz wrote and designed the game based on the world in his 2013 novel, Sacred and Terrible Air. It received almost universal acclaim due to its writing, mystery, and customization. It won four awards at the 2019 Game Awards, including Best Independent Game, Best Narrative, and Best Role-playing Game. The lead writer of ZA/UM Helen Hindpere expressed her excitement of the announcement:
“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.”
Dj2 Entertainment
Dj2 Entertainment previously worked on the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Dmitri Johnson, one of the film’s co-producers and CEO of dj2, also expressed his excitement:
“Disco Elysium is a phenomenal property with an expansive world and unlimited potential. The dj2 team is truly thrilled about this extraordinary opportunity to be part of it all.”
Sonic the Hedgehog is now the highest-grossing video game movie of all time and a sequel is currently in development. That hopefully means that Disco Elysium is in good hands. But these aren’t the only video game adaptations dj2 has in development. The company is also working on adaptations of 2012’s Sleeping Dogs and 2017’s Echo.
Disco Elysium is available on Steam and launched on Mac earlier this year. It is expected to launch on PS4 and Xbox One later this year.