'The Only People Not Involved Are the Creators,' Life Is Strange Writer Says of Amazon TV Adaptation

Amazon's announcement of a Life is Strange TV adaptation has prompted the video game's archetypal writer Christian Divine to remark that "the lone radical not progressive are the creators."

Divine served arsenic pb writer connected Life is Strange, which was created by French workplace Don't Nod backmost successful 2015. The communicative escapade launched to a lukewarm effect and earned itself a loyal instrumentality audience, prompting Divine to instrumentality for the game's 2019 sequel.

But nary notation was made of Divine oregon anyone other who worked connected the archetypal crippled successful Amazon's announcement past week, which alternatively noted that the adaptation would beryllium produced by Square Enix, the steadfast and rights proprietor of the Life is Strange franchise, arsenic good arsenic LuckyChap, a movie and TV accumulation institution co-founded by Margot Robbie, and Story Kitchen, a institution that describes itself arsenic 1 that "specializes successful Franchise Farming™ — adapting video games and different 'non-traditional' IPs into movie and TV."

Indeed, Amazon's Life is Strange TV bid property merchandise makes nary notation of Don't Nod astatine all, contempt discussing the studio's fan-favorite main characters Max and Chloe, and its beloved mounting of Arcadia Bay. Instead, the merchandise spends astir of its clip focused connected the engagement of The End of the F***ing World's Charlie Covell arsenic creator and showrunner.

Divine's remark seemingly confirms that Don't Nod is not progressive successful the adaptation astatine all, and the writer isn't the lone erstwhile Life is Strange unit subordinate to instrumentality note. "Seeing the crippled created by @DONTNOD_Michel, @RaoulBarbet, Jean-Luc Cano, and our @DONTNOD_Ent squad becoming a amusement is an unthinkable honor!" Don't Nod workplace enforcement shaper Luc Baghadoust wrote separately connected societal media, highlighting different cardinal creatives down Life is Strange.

While a straightforward message, the information Baghadoust chose to specifically item much of those liable for the archetypal crippled has raised a fewer eyebrows among fans, pursuing the deficiency of acknowledgement towards Don't Nod by Amazon and Square Enix. (Despite being tagged, neither workplace originative manager Michel Koch oregon Life is Strange manager Raoul Barbet person commented connected the series' announcement truthful far.)

On the 1 hand, Don't Nod and steadfast Square Enix parted ways alternatively publically aft the motorboat of Life is Strange 2, with the erstwhile squad re-establishing itself arsenic Don't Nod Montreal to enactment connected the akin Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. Square Enix, which has ever owned the Life is Strange IP, has meantime continued the franchise connected with aggregate games developed by Deck Nine Games, to mixed success.

But contempt the archetypal Life is Strange present being a decennary old, and Don't Nod agelong having near the series' behind, galore fans person commented connected the deficiency of engagement oregon notation of the franchise's creators arsenic odd, oregon discouraging.

"When it comes to adapting narrative-based games, idiosyncratic from the crippled developer should beryllium there," Life is Strange instrumentality mirracz wrote connected reddit, successful a lengthy thread of opinions sparked by Divine's post. "If not arsenic a writer, past astatine slightest arsenic a consultant."

"I hold with that principle," added different fan, EdenH333. "Creators of adaptations should speech to the archetypal creators erstwhile imaginable to get penetration connected the project. But arsenic a rule, Hollywood doesn’t bash this, and that isn't needfully a decease knell for a project.

"I don't retrieve Fallout's archetypal creators being portion of the Fallout TV amusement yet that turned retired amazing," argued MagnusGallant23. "Both are Amazon MGM Studios."

"This bid volition piss disconnected radical regardless," concluded a 4th fan, alihou. "If there's 1 happening I've noticed with this instrumentality base, they're speedy to complain. They're precise protective of this spot and adjacent flimsy deviations successful the communicative volition get a antagonistic reaction."

Amazon's Life is Strange TV bid looks acceptable to travel the events of the archetypal crippled closely, though fans person questioned however the adaptation volition grip its choose-your-own-adventure-style gameplay, and peculiarly its aggregate endings.

"For years we've had truthful galore radical asking america to make a Life is Strange TV show," Square Enix External Studios bosses Jon Brooke and Lee Singleton said past week, "and we're truthful pleased to yet spouse with Amazon MGM Studios who we spot volition bash an unthinkable occupation bringing our beingness to life."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social