The Dad of War is coming to television. Well, streaming television. Amazon Prime Video has ordered a series adaptation of the PlayStation action video-game series “God of War,” it was announced Wednesday.
First created in 2005, the “God of War” franchise focuses on Kratos, a Spartan warrior who becomes the god of war after taking revenge on the original god Ares for the death of his family, and eventually wages war on the entire Greek pantheon. The Prime Video series will be based on the two most recent games in the franchise: 2018’s “God of War” and last month’s “God of War: Ragnarök,” which saw Kratos leave Greece for the Norse realm of Midgard.
The storyline of the show will see Kratos, after the death of his second wife Faye, setting off on a journey with his son Atreus to spread her ashes from the highest peak of the realm. In the process, the two come to blows with new gods and monsters from the Norse mythological pantheon. The father-and-son bond will be tested.
The series is being produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios, in association with PlayStation Productions and with assistance from Santa Monica Studio, the developers behind the original video game franchise.
“’God of War’ is a compelling, character-driven franchise that we believe will captivate our global customers as much with its expansive and immersive worlds as its rich storytelling,” Vernon Sanders, head of global television at Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “We are honored to share in the adventure of exploring the God of War mythology in such a momentous way with Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, and Santa Monica Studio.”
The adaptation will be showrun by Rafe Judkins, best known for developing fantasy book series “The Wheel of Time” for Prime Video. Other writers on the “God of War” series include Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, who created the SyFy series “The Expanse” and co-wrote the screenplays for “Iron Man” and “Children of Men.” The three executive produce alongside Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan for Playstation Productions, Cory Barlog and Yumi Yang for Santa Monica Studio, and Roy Lee for Vertigo. Jeff Ketcham co-executive produces for Santa Monica Studio.
“We are so proud and excited to be working with our friends at Amazon Studios and our partners at PlayStation Productions to adapt this beautiful and heartbreaking game into a premium live-action series,” Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios, said in a statement. “Rafe, Mark and Hawk are crafting a transportive series that charts a path through the ancient mythological journey of Kratos.”
Since its creation, the “God of War” series has received critical acclaim and financial success, selling over 52 million copies across nine installments. The 2018 game the show is based on won game of the year at the 2018 Game Awards, while “Ragnarök” won six awards from 11 nominations.
“’God of War’ is one of PlayStation’s most awarded video games,” Qizilbash said in a statement. “We’re excited to partner with Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios to bring our beloved franchise to fans and new audiences in a bold and authentic way.”
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