Award-Winning Sci-Fi Cat Video Game Becoming A Movie
Long gone are the days of movies being made with original scripts. Now it’s all about big Hollywood studios remaking old blockbusters, developing sequel after sequel, and adapting content made popular by other mediums. According to Entertainment Weekly, the latest film to be announced using this copy-and-paste technique is Stray by Annapurna Animation, an animated feature based on the video game of the same name.
Stray is the next video game to become a major movie.
As the old adage goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And with nearly every writer in Tinsel Town on strike at the moment, Hollywood doesn’t seem to have a choice but to adapt already created content to film. And Stray, an incredibly popular, award-winning video game, seems like the perfect target to transmute onto the silver screen.
After the success of their debut feature, Nimona, Annapurna Animation has become a rising star in the animation industry. Run by Disney alumnus, the studio is now setting up to take the stage for a thrilling new era of animated films based on video game content. Stray is next up on the docket and will be led by animation luminaries Nick Bruno and Chris Wedge.
Stray is an unconventional game that places players in control of a stealthy cat navigating an underground city inhabited by robots and mutant bacteria, aided by a friendly drone named B-12.
Robert Baird, one of the studio’s leaders tasked with transferring this adorable story into a movie plot fans will enjoy, remarked on the challenge and allure of adapting a game without any human characters, emphasizing the importance of capturing the emotional essence of the game’s narrative concept, described as ‘hopepunk.’
Stray was an immediate hit when it was released for the PlayStation 5 last year.
Hopepunk is basically the idea that optimism is a form of resistance. It’s the underlying theme of Stray and is an inspiring term that Baird envisions will propel a new type of storytelling. Baird promises this new animated feature will deliver a heartwarming, comedic experience that mirrors the game’s charm.
Annapurna Interactive, the gaming division of the studio fronting Stray, boasts a rich catalog of titles that could potentially be adapted into animated films. While details about future adaptations remain under wraps, the division heads, Robert Baird and Andrew Millstein, emphasized their commitment to respecting the source material while making it suitable for the silver screen.
In addition to Stray, Annapurna Animation is gearing up for a revolution in animated filmmaking. Joining the studio as an in-house filmmaker is Nick Bruno, co-director of Nimona and a talent known for his work on Spies in Disguise and The Peanuts Movie. His current project with the studio remains shrouded in secrecy but is described as a high-concept, heartfelt animated film with Spielbergian influences.
Annapurna Interactive, the gaming division of the studio fronting Stray, boasts a rich catalog of titles that could potentially be adapted into animated films.
Annapurna Animation’s emergence comes after Disney‘s closure of Blue Sky Studios in 2021, a move that left many in the animation industry disheartened. Still, Annapurna Animation is not seeking to replicate its predecessor; instead, it aims to build on the rich relationships and creative talents associated with Blue Sky Studios. With a team of experienced animators backing the studio, there is no doubt Stray and any other film the company decides to adapt will be charming, even if they have yet to announce new original stories.
Annapurna Animation is now primed to deliver a fresh wave of animated wonders, from the enchanting world of Stray to the Spielbergian dreams of Nick Bruno and many more to come. No doubt, the animation landscape is set to thrive with this vibrant new player on the scene.
