What we know so far: Film and TV adaptations have become an increasingly important source of revenue for video game publishers in recent years, and Ubisoft is no exception. After revealing plans for an Assassin's Creed TV series and launching an animated series based on Splinter Cell, Ubisoft is now adapting Far Cry.
Ubisoft has announced that FX ordered a TV series based on the Far Cry video games, which will stream on Hulu in the US and Disney+ internationally. Plot details remain unclear, but the show will be an anthology series, with each season introducing a new setting and cast.
The anthology format reflects the games, each of which features a different setting and characters. Noah Hawley, who is set to produce the series, compared Far Cry's format to another show he produced for FX, the Emmy Award-winning Fargo. Like that series, he intends for Far Cry to explore humanity through a chaotic lens.
Hawley most recently produced Alien Earth for FX. Rob 'Mac' McElhenney, creator of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and executive producer of Welcome to Wrexham, is also attached. Other producers from 26 Keys and More Better Productions include Emilia Serrano, Nick Frenkel, Jackie Cohn, and John Campisi. Ubisoft's producers include Gerard Guillemot, Margaret Boykin, and Austin Dill.
The games debuted with Crytek's 2004 first-person shooter, Far Cry, before Ubisoft took over development of subsequent entries. The most recent title, Far Cry 6, was released in 2021 and starred Giancarlo Esposito. Early information about the TV series initially leaked from a premature announcement on Ubisoft's website in August. Far Cry was previously adapted into a live-action film in 2008, directed by Uwe Boll and starring Til Schweiger and the late Udo Kier.
In related news, Deadline reported this week that Netflix's upcoming live-action series based on another Ubisoft property, Assassin's Creed, will co-star Toby Wallace (Euphoria, The Bikeriders). Wallace is the first actor cast for the series, which is said to introduce different characters from the games.
Like Far Cry, Assassin's Creed shifts through various settings and casts of characters. However, this series is expected to be shot in Italy, where it is set, suggesting that it might adapt 2009's Assassin's Creed II.
Additionally, Netflix began streaming the animated series Splinter Cell: Deathwatch last month, starring Liev Schreiber as protagonist Sam Fisher. The series currently enjoys an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Ubisoft's push for TV adaptations likely stems from a need for additional revenue streams. Turbulence from layoffs and troubled game launches over the past few years has led the company to depend on deep investments from media giant Tencent. The strategy echoes efforts from other video game companies, such as Nintendo, which has produced movies and opened theme parks based on its characters.
Far Cry is getting a TV adaptation from FX, Hulu, and Ubisoft
