Atomfall is the latest game getting the TV treatment, this time from the producers behind The Assassin and Fleabag. It's a British post-apocalyptic story set in a quarantined Lake District after a real-life nuclear disaster. The protagonist wakes up with no memory of how they got there. Folk horror, classic sci-fi, the works.
This isn't just another adaptation announcement. The Last of Us proved prestige drama could work. Fallout proved absurdist tone could translate. Now Atomfall—a contained, weird, literary-inspired game with 3.7 million players—is entering the conversation. That signals studios are chasing good stories, not just brand recognition.
For filmmakers, this trend matters. Game adaptations are no longer a punchline. They're a viable career path for writers who understand world-building and tone.
What game deserves the prestige treatment next?
1 person likes this
Contra deserves said prestige treatment. I wrote a sci-fi action script inspired from that world. It also mines the same generation for nostalgia as the 2023 Super Mario movie did. The early games are not very cinematic, so they can be made such adding a new aspect to the lore.
I'm currently developing an island on Fortnite that I plan to use as a virtual backlot for multiple films, including a mini series.