Amazon Studios is officially developing Life is Strange and Disco Elysium TV shows as part of its new deal with production company dj2 Entertainment. Created by Dontnod Entertainment, the former video game franchise puts players in the shoes of various protagonists with superhuman abilities to rewind time, manipulate emotions or move objects telepathically. Having first launched in 2015 with the eponymous episodic title, Life is Strange has received largely positive reviews across its five titles for its unique concept, storytelling and character development, though some criticism has been directed towards its outdated dialogue and lip-syncing issues.

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Developed and published by indie studio ZA/UM, Disco Elysium is a role-playing game in which players take on the role of an amnesiac detective tasked with solving a murder mystery and discovering the truth behind his own past. First released in 2019, the game has received rave reviews for its narrative and conversational systems while the expanded edition subtitled The Final Cut received further acclaim for its new quests and dialogue, though the PlayStation versions saw criticism for game-breaking bugs. Though both games have seen the concept of adaptations explored throughout the years, fans of the titles may be closer than ever to seeing them come to life.

Collider has brought word that Amazon Studios and production company dj2 Entertainment have inked a new first-look deal. As part of the new deal, the two have entered early development on Life is Strange and Disco Elysium TV show adaptations, though details on the projects are being kept largely under wraps. Producer Dmitri M. Johnson wrote about the new deal in the following statement:

“The dj2 team has long believed that video games would one day serve as incredible source material for stories told in television and film, and that it was only the lack of love and respect for the artform which previously held successful adaptations back. Moreover, it is truly an honor to have Prime Video as our platform partner. A partner who truly supports us, as well as our grand ambitions, for telling the best international gaming stories with no limitations in how high we may collectively aim.”

A Life is Strange TV adaptation has been in the works for over five years now, with Legendary previously teaming with publisher Square Enix for a digital series before producers dj2 Entertainment would sell the rights to Hulu in 2017. After a few years of development, Shawn Mendes would come on as an executive producer and to oversee the music on the series, but it’s currently unclear whether he is attached to the new incarnation of the show. Similarly, a Disco Elysium TV adaptation was previously announced in 2020 from dj2 Entertainment, though has largely gone quiet in the time since.

The announcements of Life is Strange and Disco Elysium TV adaptations may come as a bit of a mixed bag for fans of both franchises given the player-driven nature of both of their narratives, a format rarely explored outside of the video game world save for Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend. Interestingly, should the shows properly move ahead, they would mark Amazon’s latest expansion into the world of video game adaptations alongside their in-development Mass Effect series. With both Life is Strange and Disco Elysium shows still in early development, only time will tell what fans of the games can expect from the adaptations.

Source: Collider

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Grant Hermanns
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Grant Hermanns is a News Writer, Interviewer and Hiring Manager for Screen Rant, having joined the team in early 2021. Way back in 2015 while still in his college days, Grant got his start in the entertainment journalism industry with creator-friendly site Moviepilot until it shuttered nearly three years later. From there he joined the staff at ComingSoon.net and was its Associate Editor prior to coming over to Screen Rant.

To say he’s a lover of film and television would be an understatement and when he’s not mass consuming either you can find him exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends or slowly making his way through his gaming backlog.

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