Netflix is turning one of gaming’s most beloved battle royale hits into a live-action television series, and Donald Glover is leading the charge.
The PUBG project announcement comes as the latest in Netflix’s recent push to adapt video game IP, which now spans across genres, including live-action feature films, animated series and competition formats. PUBG stands out as a rather an unusual pick because, while the game is famously responsible for popularizing the battle royale genre, there isn’t much of a strong narrative thread to adapt. This open-ended narrative nature leaves room for Glover to approach the project with his own creative take. Netflix has yet to announce a premiere date, cast beyond Glover, or number of episodes.
Donald Glover, the two-time Emmy and Golden Globe winner behind Atlanta and Community, is set to write, direct, executive produce and star in the PUBG adapted series. His brother and frequent collaborator, Stephen Glover, was announced as an additional writer and executive producer attached to the project. The series’ other executive producers include Michael Schaefer of NEON TV, Fam Udeorji from Gilga, and Taeseok Jang and Sujin Lee from LV3H.
Krafton, PUBG’s developer, describes PUBG as a global cultural icon with seven Guinness World Records, and one of the world’s most enduring gaming franchises. The game is often credited with popularizing the battle royale genre on a global scale, launching a massive trend of battle royale games across mobile and PC gaming. Krafton, a game company with a network of 19 creative studios, has a large portfolio that also includes Subnautica and inZOI. Krafton is now working on expanding the franchise into original entertainment content. LV3H, the company’s entertainment entity, is involved in development and production, with a couple of LV3H’s own team-members as executive producers on the upcoming series.
PUBG’s TV adaptation announcement adds the game to a growing list of video game adaptations Netflix currently has in the works. Those projects include a live-action Assassin’s Creed series as well as a live-action Gears of War film. On the animation side, the streaming giant is also developing series based on Minecraft, Magic: The Gathering and Clash of Clans. It also recently announced that it has an Overcooked competition series in the works.
Returning titles include second seasons of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, as well as the third and final season of Devil May Cry. Netflix also recently announced a slate of projects with Sega, including a film adaptation of Crazy Taxi.
Netflix has yet to disclose when production on PUBG is going to begin or when the series might potentially be premiering. The company also has not disclosed any sort of episode count, a budget or any of the cast members beyond Glover.