Falloutfans rejoice, as there’s yet another reason to be excited for Amazon’s tv series based on the games. Ella Purnell, star of the smash hit Showtime seriesYellowjackets, is cast to lead the series, alongside Tarantino film star Walton Goggins.
Amazon’sFalloutseries is being developed by Jonathan Nolan, the brother and frequent co-writer of Christopher Nolan, and the co-creator of the hit HBO seriesWestworld. Lisa Joy, another co-creator ofWestworldwho was also the writer and director ofthe recent sci-fi filmReminiscence,serves as an executive producer alongside Jonathan Nolan.
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Per Deadline, Purnell’s role is not being announced at this point, but the outlet believes she is playing a lead character known as Jean. The character is described as “a young woman with a can-do attitude who may be hiding a dangerous secret.” Inspired by movies likeThe Road WarriorandA Boy and His Dog, theFalloutgames have long had a cinematic quality to them, right down to an iconicnarration by Ron Perlman. Everyone’s favorite aspect of the game is exploring the apocalyptic landscapes, meeting eclectic characters, and making choices for good or evil. With all of this in mind, it should be fairly seamless to translate the appeal to television.
However, there’s also a number of factors againstFallout’s success. For one, films and series based off video games have long been notorious flops. Most recently, theHaloseries has failed to reach many viewers, though that could also be an issue with the Paramount Plus service in general. The recentUnchartedfilm has fared a bit better, as it’s grossed more than the recentSonic the HedgehogandTomb Raiderfilms, but not enough to be called a runaway success. But perhaps more seriously is the current state of theFalloutfranchise, as the most recent release, the multiplayerFallout 76, was an unmitigated disaster. Many fans are still pessimistic about the prospect of the games, and would rather go back to old copies ofFallout: New Vegas.
While these are valid concerns, it’s no reason to lose faith in the project. There’s still a wealth of great material to be mined fromFallout,and every name attached to the project has proved themselves a great talent. Besides, everyone now is trying to develop game-based properties, including HBO with their highly anticipatedadaptation ofThe Last of Us. By capturing a franchise as iconic asFallout, Amazon Studios may find themselves at the top of this trend.
How willFalloutmake way for greater game-based television and movies? Can the series live up to the glory of the games, and perhaps improve on the more recent entries? It’s a tall order, but this cast and crew certainly has potential to reach that challenge.
