Summary
After over a decade of false starts and setbacks, the movie adaptation of Ubisoft’s popular video gameWatch Dogshas finally broken free from development limbo and successfully wrapped up its principal photography.
In an era when video game adaptations often miss the mark, their reputation for poor quality remains steadfast — just look at theBorderlandsfilm, which debuted on Rotten Tomatoeswith a rare zero percent rating. Expectations have plummeted so drastically that the forthcomingMinecraftmovie is already being ridiculed based on its trailer alone. As fans yearn for a breakthrough that could turn the tide, there’s exciting news about theWatch Dogsfilm, which has been in development for nearly ten years.
After more than a decade since its initial announcement, theWatch Dogsmovie has finally finished production, ending a long period of development challenges. Ubisoft announced the milestone on X, sharing a behind-the-scenes image with the cheeky caption, “run film_wrapped.exe (#watchdogsmovie.mp4). Filming complete!” The adaptation was first revealed in 2013, even before the game it’s based on was released, and entered development in 2015. Although Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese were initially hired to write the script, their version fell through, and the project struggled through various writers and filmmakers until a viable iteration was found. However, production resumed earlier this summer under the direction of Mathieu Turi. With filming now complete, theWatch Dogsprojectstill faces the typical post-production process, including scoring, editing, visual effects, and a major marketing push before its eventual release.
For those unfamiliar with theWatch Dogsfranchise, the games follow expert hackers as they take on corrupt authorities and shadowy conspiracies.The original 2014 title focused on Aiden Pearce, a vigilante who manipulates a city-wide operating system in a fictionalized Chicago to avenge his niece’s death — a plotline that could serve as a strong foundation for the film. The 2016 sequel introduced Marcus Holloway, a new protagonist using hacking to fight injustice in San Francisco. The most recent entry,2020’sWatch Dogs: Legion, brought a fresh twist, allowing players to control multiple characters as they form a resistance against an authoritarian regime in dystopian London. Whether the movie will directly adapt one of the games or present an original story set in theWatch Dogsuniverse remains to be seen.
TheWatch Dogsgame series,reportedly shelved permanently, provides a solid foundation with plenty of elements from its universe to draw upon. Its diverse gameplay, including intense shooter sequences and intricate puzzles, creates an immersive experience where the overall “vibe” takes precedence over any single narrative. In addition to the three main games released between 2014 and 2020, several tie-in novels and comics exist. Although an animated series was in development in 2019, it never came to fruition. Despite the shaky history of video game adaptations, there’s hope that this long-awaited Watch Dogs film could break the mold and improve the genre’s reputation.
The upcomingWatch Dogsmovie is being developed by New Regency, the studio responsible for projects like thelackluster 2016Assassin’s CreedadaptationandThe Lighthouse. The film is directed by Mathieu Turi, known for smaller films likeThe Deep Dark, which struggled at the box office, and the hope is for a better outcome this time. Turi is working with a script penned by Christie LeBlanc (Oxygen) and Victoria Bata (Lessons in Chemistry). Leading the cast is Tom Blyth, recently seen inThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, alongside Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me,Everything Now) and Markella Kavenagh, recognized for her role inThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. However, plot and character specifics are still under wraps.
