Ubisoft outlines plans to develop more of its franchises into TV shows

Ubisoft has announced it is reimagining even more of its gaming franchises as TV shows. 

A Mars-set Rabbids Invasion special follows four seasons of the France 3/Netflix/Nickelodeon kids show, as well as a kid-friendly Watch Dogs series, and a “comedy-adventure” inspired by the popular Rayman franchise. There’s even plans to adapt its mobile game, Hungry Shark, and Far Cry 3 spin-off, Blood Dragon.

Netflix’s Castlevania producer Adi Shankar is on-board for the latter, which is described as a “young-adult series” called Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Vibe, which will reportedly “form a multiverse with other Ubisoft titles”. 

“Every show has a different target that it’s aiming at and a different format,” Ubisoft film & television managing director Helene Juguet told The Hollywood Reporter. “Adi is such a great fan of video games. We share the same culture and references. It’s been great to give him the freedom to do something very fresh and bold with our characters.”

The company also is working on an animated sketch comedy about video game culture.

This is just one of several game IPs coming to screens both big and small. In July we reported that a Cuphead series was coming to Netflix, and in June it was confirmed Ubisoft was strengthening its TV offering with a series and a Netflix movie in the works. Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet will be Ubisoft Film and Television’s first live-action comedy series, whilst a Netflix film based upon Tom Clancy’s The Division starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain is headed to Netflix. The Division will be directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2), with Rafe Judkins (Marvel’s Agents of Shield) working on the screenplay.

A live-action series based upon Square Enix’s MMO RPG Final Fantasy XIV is also in development by Sony Pictures Television and Hivemind, the company also bringing The Witcher to Netflix. The live-action television series will reportedly tell an original story set in the fantastic world of Eorzea.

Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering creator Wizards of the Coast has also announced it is partnering with Netflix and the Russo Brothers to produce a Magic: The Gathering animated series. The Russos will oversee “the creation of an all-new storyline and expand on the stories of the Planeswalkers, which are Magic’s unique magic-wielding heroes and villains as they contend with stakes larger than any one world can hold”.

Cover image credit: Ubisoft (Concept art for a ‘Rayman’-inspired comedy series, via THR)