Video game adaptations have officially become the “next big thing” in Hollywood. Though they’ve always been present to some degree, they were usually the kind of film or show that fans rolled their eyes at and watched with gritted teeth. The likes of Fallout on Prime Video, The Last of Us on HBO, and the Sonic the Hedgehog movies have proven that an appetite for proper adaptations that do these games justice, and often have devoted fans bringing them to life, can go a long way with fans and even create culturally defining shows and movies that create all-new fans.
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The latest series that will be headed for live-action has just been revealed, though, and it’s one that no one could have predicted. According to a report from Variety, Netflix is set to adapt the beloved Persona franchise as a live-action TV Series. Stranger Things‘ Shawn Levy and Robert Atwood of 21 Laps will executive produce the series, which also has Christopher Monfette of Star Trek: Picard (and the upcoming Marvel’s VisionQuest) set to write and serve as showrunner. With this news comes a big unanswered question, though: What story will the show adapt?
Live-Action Persona TV Series Is Happening
The biggest question about Persona becoming a live-action TV series is how the producers intend to bring the game itself into reality in a way that feels true to the game, but also is easy for non-fans to enjoy and watch. One of the most popular JRPGs currently, Persona games, have a story that usually unfolds in two distinct ways. The first of these is the social aspect, with the titles focusing largely on Japanese high school students, with players forced to partake in their day-to-day routine, including making friends.
On the flip side are the actual fight scenes, where characters must do battle utilizing the power of their “personas,” which are physical manifestations of their psyche that can be harnessed for the fight. Often, these personas are based on mythical figures, gods, or even characters from books, like Joker’s Arsène in Persona 5, which is inspired by the character Arsène Lupin.
It’s easy to say from there how the show will adapt the games into something for television, as the social scenarios of high school students are immediate fodder for TV writing, but adapting the persona battles themselves seems like a difficult task. Persona games are turn-based in their combat, meaning that bringing them to the big screen will require a rework of how that action unfolds if it’s going to appeal to a bigger crowd.
To date, Persona has been adapted into anime a few times already, with the stories of Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5 brought to life in animation, with stage musical adaptations of Persona 3 having been produced as well. The new series from Netflix marks the first time ever that Persona will be realized in live-action, though, which has fans bracing for the worst. Persona has only gotten more popular over the decades, though, meaning that any kind of adaptation will have an intense amount of scrutiny attached to it.
“Don’t care what anyone says, I am 100% ready for this after seeing,” wrote one user. “Just please, keep the soundtrack as iconic as the games!!”
“It’s either going to be very good on par with the live action One Piece or bad like the live action Cowboy Bebop,” wrote another.
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