A new television series adaptation of the popular shooter video game franchise Wolfenstein is now in development at Amazon MGM Studios.
The series is being spearheaded by Patrick Somerville, who will serve as creator, writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Somerville, a self-admitted fan of the Wolfenstein franchise since he was a kid, is best known for his work on Station Eleven and Maniac.
While specific details are still under wraps, it sounds like the series will at least follow the basic premise of the games, which is fighting Nazis. According to Variety, the series logline reads: “The story of killing Nazis is evergreen.”
Wolfenstein is a long-running video game series dating back to 198's Castle Wolfenstein. The franchise spans over a dozen titles, all revolving around around fighting Nazi regimes utilizing supernatural and occult forces, or various high-tech. The games are usually set during World War II, or in an alternate history where the Nazis have already achieved victory.
It's unclear if Amazon's adaptation will focus on the video game's iconic protagonist William "B.J." Blazkowicz, who was the star in the most recent two titles from MachineGames.
2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order served as a reboot of the franchise under the development of MachineGames after Bethesda Softworks had obtained the franchise rights through ZeniMax Media's acquisition of id Software. The game was set in an alternate history 1960s Europe where the Nazis won World War II, and follows B.J. Blazkowicz as he attempts to stop the regime from ruling the world.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, released in 2017, was a sequel set during 1961 in a Nazi-occupied United States. Once again, it follows B.J. Blazkowicz and his efforts to stop them.
With over 40 years of games to pull from, there's no shortage of inspiration for the upcoming television series. And it sounds like the show is in very good hands.
Somerville is joined by Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, and Athena Wickham of Kilter Films — the studio behind Amazon's Fallout series — as executive producers. James Altman, of Keyframe Films, and Jerk Gustafsson of MachineGames, are also on board as executive producers.
Amazon MGM Studios has been leaning heavily into video games lately. In addition to the highly successful Fallout series, which is preparing for the release of its second season and has already been greenlit for a third season, Amazon is developing shows based on Mass Effect, Warhammer 40,000, and God of War.