An R-rated animated feature film adaptation of the video game Bloodborne is currently in the works at Sony Pictures, the studio announced on Tuesday at CinemaCon.
As per US-based entertainment portal Variety, Sony Pictures said that they won’t shy away from the carnage that made the game so popular.
The video game, released in 2015, was developed by FromSoftware and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, whose parent company is Sony Pictures and subsequently, PlayStation.
The upcoming film is co-produced by PlayStation Productions, Lyrical Animation, and creator-gamer Seán McLoughlin, best known by his gaming name JackSepticEye.
JackSepticEye is a popular Irish YouTube and gamer known for his dynamic Let’s Play videos and vlogs. He considers Bloodborne his favourite video game of all time and has played it multiple times a year, often playing it back-to-back.
The film is co-financed by Lyrical Media, parent company of Lyrical Animation, alongside Sony Pictures.
Sanford Panitch, president of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, promised fans that the upcoming film will be faithful towards the gory spirit of Bloodborne.
The Lovecraftian horror game follows the player, a traveller seeking a cure, arriving in the decaying city of Yharnam. Infected by a blood-borne disease, the player joins a “Hunt” against townsfolk mutated into beasts, eventually discovering that the Healing Church’s “Old Blood” is linked to cosmic entities known as Great Ones
Bloodborne is the latest addition to a host of video game adaptations. Prior to this, an adaptation of Helldivers was announced by Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions. It is set to be directed by Justin Lin, known for helming multiple Fast & Furious films.
Sony Pictures and PlayStation also recently finished shooting for an adaptation of the classic Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda. The Maze Runner director Wes Ball is set to helm the project, with Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason featuring as Link and Princess Zelda. Game creator Shigeru Miyamoto will produce the film.
In recent times, there has been a rise in video game-to-screen adaptations. A Minecraft Movie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie are among the highest-grossing films in this category.