Believe it or not, the Gears of War project in development at Netflix might be one of the Xbox adaptations I'm most excited about. I am a Gears of War fan, and after what happened with the Halo TV series, I'm really hoping Netflix takes a completely different approach here.
I don't want another adaptation that treats the source material as optional. I want something that respects what made Gears special in the first place. A gritty, brutal story that actually feels authentic to the games.
Now, in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty, along with details revealed by EW itself, has given us our clearest indication yet of what Netflix is planning. And honestly, it's left me feeling more optimistic than I expected.
Instead of beating around the bush, let's look at the direct quotes:
"Netflix announced a live-action Gears of War movie from director David Leitch (The Fall Guy, Bullet Train) and writer Jon Spaihts (Dune: Part III). EW can exclusively reveal that the film will tell 'the origin story of Delta Squad, a ragtag crew of soldiers who wage a desperate war for survival against the Locust, a race of subterranean creatures set on destroying humanity,' according to an official description."
Matt Booty expanded on that by saying:
"The game really is about the bonds between teams. It's about brotherhood at its core. When you go visit the studio, their tagline is 'Never Fight Alone.'"
Now, I don't know about you, but that certainly gets me excited. Gears has always been at its best when it's focused on the relationships between its characters, and not just about the locust and such. If Netflix genuinely understands that the heart of Gears is brotherhood, survival, and fighting impossible odds together, then this adaptation might actually have a shot.
It's even one of those adaptations I think I'll end up forcing my parents to watch as part of my ongoing, and so far largely unsuccessful, mission to get them interested in the things I like.
It’s a great time to be a Gears of War fan, though, especially with E-Day releasing this year, exclusively on Xbox. We also got plenty of other details about Xbox's entertainment ambitions, including a small update on Halo and the surprise announcement of a Sea of Thieves movie. So, at least when it comes to film and television, Xbox seems to be thinking pretty big right now.
But let me know your thoughts. Are these details enough to get you excited about the Gears of War adaptation? Be sure to leave a comment and take part in our poll!
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