Among the numerous video game adaptations currently in progress in Hollywood, Amazon’s God of War TV series stands out with great promise. The original God of War games, especially the 2018 and 2022 installments, already possess a cinematic quality that should lend well to adaptation for the screen. Despite this, Amazon has made little progress on the adaptation since it was greenlit two years ago.
Unfortunately, the project has experienced a setback. According to Deadline, showrunner Rafe Judkins and executive producers Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus have all departed the project. This decision was made by Sony Pictures TV and Amazon MGM Studios in order to take the series in a new creative direction, despite the trio having completed scripts for the intended first season.
Yumi Yang and Cory Barlog from Santa Monica Studio, developers of God of War, remain as executive producers, along with Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Yumi Land, and Roy Lee. Moving forward, Amazon and Sony plan to assemble a new group of writers for God of War and start fresh.
Amazon is no stranger to high-profile video game adaptations, with the recent success of the live-action Fallout series. Rafe Judkins, also involved with Amazon’s The Wheel of Time, has a history with the platform. The upcoming God of War series is set to focus on the franchise’s Norse Era, continuing where the games left off.
While the reasons for the creative shift in the God of War adaptation remain unclear, it seems that Sony and Amazon are determined to make sure the new series lives up to expectations. With the popularity of the God of War franchise and the success of Fallout, it’s understandable that the studios want to proceed with caution, even if it means a potential delay in the premiere.
