A new report suggests that Hazelight Studios is working on a movie adaptation of its 2021 hit It Takes Two.
The news, reported by Variety, suggests that Hazelight has partnered with dj2 Entertainment on the project. dj2 has a production company that appears to specialise in video game adaptations. Its biggest adaptation to date has been Sonic the Hedgehog at Paramount. It also has deals in place around a Sleeping Dogs film, a TV series based on Disco Elysium, and various titles under the Raw Fury indie label. A previously announced TV series based on Dontnod’s VAMPYR never came to anything.
Variety’s story says that there’s no network or studio attached to the project, but says its sources indicate there’s been a bidding war to secure it. dj2 has tapped Sonic the Hedgehog writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller to adapt the game for the screen.
And now, a moment of editorialising
If I can be allowed to editorialise for a second: Does this strike anyone else as a bit weird? The whole point of It Takes Two was that it was a special cooperative-only experience that turned the complexities of a dying relationship into big, bold, interactive metaphor. Through that interactivity, it brought its players and its characters closer together. It did this so effectively that it won numerous Game of the Year awards only a month ago. Adapting it into a movie turns this story into a passive experience. Doesn’t that carve out the very thing that gave the game its heart and soul?
That’s my gut feeling, anyway. I’d love to be proven wrong. I wish Hazelight all the best with the production and I hope the movie rules, I truly do.
Also, for whatever it’s worth, there’s already a movie named It Takes Two. It’s a 1995 romantic comedy starring Kirstie Alley, Steve Guttenberg, and the Olsen Twins. I’m sure the statute of limitations on the title has well and truly passed by now, but it’s worth pointing out.
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