So, Far Cry is back, kinda. FX just confirmed there’s a new Far Cry TV show in the works, currently in its earliest stages of production, but already with a few, interesting details — chief of them being it’s an anthology series.
“Anthology”, in Hollywood speak, means that all stories told within a show are independent from each other, without any direct continuity. If you’re thinking “True Detective”, congratulations, you got it.
Other details include the lead role, which the show cast Rob Mac (formerly “McElhenney”), of “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” fame. Mac, by the way, will also be half of the executive production duo — the other being Fargo’s Noah Hawley.
“What I love about the Far Cry game franchise is it’s an anthology. Each game is a variation of a theme, the same way each season of Fargo is a variation on a theme,” Hawley stated in a press release, mentioning how Ubisoft’s gaming franchise will set the tone for FX’s show. “To create a big action show that can change from year to year, while always exploring the nature of humanity through this complex and chaotic lens is a dream come true. I’m excited to partner with Rob and bring our shared irreverent, ambitious sensibility to the screen.”
As for Rob Mac, the man also had a few words to share: “Getting to work alongside Noah Hawley is a dream realized. Ubisoft has been remarkably generous, entrusting us with one of the most iconic video-game worlds ever created. And through it all, my FX family continues to lift me up with their constant belief and support.”
Will the Far Cry TV show follow any of the games’ stories?
Ubisoft is no stranger to the “trans media” aspect of its gaming franchises, given that we’ve already seen Assassin’s Creed take movie form and also that Prince of Persia movie we should not and will not ever, ever mention again nor endorse, ever (let’s trade that for the amazing Splinter Cell: Deathwatch on Netflix, ok?).
Being the first time that Far Cry takes place outside of videogames, one would be forgiven to believe one story or another finds its way to streaming: I mean, as first-person shooters go, the brand does have some great plot points (and that game conspiracy theory about the second game’s villain being the first game’s hero makes it all the more enticing).
However, at this point, it doesn’t look like the Far Cry show will actually reproduce any of the games’ stories on the telly (sorry, Vaas Montenegro stans), but merely take the franchise’s plot mechanics and develop its own.
Which is always fine: not every game show needs to have that The Last of Us fidelity to be good (and even TLoU took some liberties with the plot if comapred to Naughty Dog’s gaming franchise too). So color us excited for this.
Other names mentioned in the Far Cry show production credits include Emilia Serrano (26 Keys), Nick Frenkel (3 Arts), Jackie Cohn (More Better), and John Campisi. Ubisoft Film & Television executives Gerard Guillemot (yes, “Guillemot”, as in “Ubisoft co-founder and brother to current Ubisfot CEO Yves” Guillemot), John Campisi, Margaret Boykin, and Austin Dill are also involved (thank you, Game Informer!).
As for the release window, well, there’s none to speak of at the moment. The Far Cry show will stream on Hulu, which, by the way, has a bunch of gift cards available on Amazon for Black Friday deals. So if you’re excited about the Far Cry TV show, this might be good timing to stack up on those credits.
