Far Cry is becoming a series!

"Far Cry" is becoming a series! As the industry magazine Variety reports, the US broadcaster FX has commissioned an adaptation of the popular video game series.

Noah Hawley and Rob Mac, known for "Fargo" and most recently "Alien: Earth", are responsible for the development. Despite the strict secrecy surrounding the plot, it is already clear that the series version will be strongly oriented towards the anthology character of the games. Each season will present a new story, new characters and its own setting.

Hawley, himself a big fan of the games, was enthusiastic about the possibility of a series adaptation. Quote:

"What I love about the "Far Cry" game franchise is it's an anthology. Each game is a variation of a theme, the same way each season of "Fargo" is a variation on a theme. To create a big action show that can change from year to year, while always exploring the nature of humanity through this complex and chaotic lens is a dream come true."

It is not yet known when we can expect the "Far Cry" series. Speaking of "Far Cry": a film adaptation directed by Uwe Boll was released back in 2008. In the leading role: Til Schweiger. However, this ultimately turned out to be a flop and was not at all well received by fans. Let's hope the series does better now!

From screen to screen: how first-person shooters made the leap into film and series format

Video games have spawned countless genres over the past few decades, but few are as popular as the first-person shooter. First-person games have dominated the charts since the early 1990s – with fast-paced battles, iconic heroes and immersive worlds. This success did not go unnoticed by Hollywood. Time and again, filmmakers tried to transfer the explosive potential of these games to the big screen. The results were sometimes ambitious, sometimes controversial – but always an exciting insight into the challenge of transforming interactive action into a narrative film format.

Early attempts: Doom and the appeal of the digital cult

One of the first major first-person shooters to receive a live-action adaptation was "Doom". The 2005 film attempted to capture the cult status of the video game that had triggered the shooter boom in the mid-1990s. Starring Karl Urban and Dwayne Johnson, the film relied on gloomy lab corridors, monstrous enemies and a visual style that electrified fans: a sequence lasting several minutes shot entirely from a first-person perspective. But despite this homage, the film fell short of expectations. Critics criticized the plot, while fans wished for more fidelity to the game. Nevertheless, "Doom" marked an important milestone because it showed that the film industry was taking first-person shooters seriously.

Far Cry and the direct-to-video fate

Just a few years later came "Far Cry" (2008), an adaptation of the successful Ubisoft shooter. Directed by Uwe Boll – famous and infamous for video game adaptations – it was an action film starring Til Schweiger. The movie was roughly based on the game, but strayed far from the original tone. Although it received poor reviews from critics, "Far Cry" remains an example of how difficult it can be to tame open game worlds and chaotic shooter action on film. Today, the movie is more of a curiosity – and yet part of the development that first-person shooter adaptations have undergone.

The change in style: Halo as a prestige project

A counter-example to the early, rather problematic adaptations is the "Halo" series. Originally planned as a film for years, the project was finally realized as a high-quality TV series. With a large budget, detailed sci-fi visuals and an epic lore, the production succeeded in capturing the spirit of the game. "Halo" shows that first-person shooters with strong worlds, political depth and iconic characters definitely have the narrative potential for longer formats. Streaming platforms that rely on complex series worlds give first-person shooter franchises a format that is closer to the gaming experience than classic films.

Borderlands: the latest attempt

In August 2024, "Borderlands", based on the popular shooter series, was released under the direction of Eli Roth. The film brings together a star-studded cast – including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Jamie Lee Curtis. The focus is on bounty hunter Lilith (Cate Blanchett), who, together with a motley crew of misfits and a robot called Claptrap (voice: Jack Black), is tasked with rescuing the kidnapped daughter of a powerful arms magnate – and stumbles across a mysterious treasure trove in the process.

New era: Successful adaptations through streaming

With the rise of streaming services, the landscape has changed significantly. Video game adaptations are increasingly being taken seriously, with better scripts, dedicated showrunners and budgets that do the worlds justice. Productions such as "The Last of Us" – a third-person game, but stylistically close to modern shooters – show how high-quality game adaptations can be if the core of the original is respected.

First-person shooters offer great potential for this: clear conflicts, distinctive characters, strong visual identity. At the same time, they face the challenge of translating interactive tension into a linear plot. However, as the market matures, the chances that future adaptations - such as further "Far Cry" projects – will win over fans are also growing.

Conclusion

The history of first-person shooter film adaptations is characterized by early experiments, artistic failures and modern prestige productions. While many adaptations initially failed due to the translation of interactive action, streaming and long-lasting series formats are now opening up new possibilities. It remains exciting to see which shooter worlds will be the next to make the leap to the big or small screen – and how close they come to fulfilling the hopes of gamers.