Activision Blizzard wishes for an Overwatch movie. The dream of many fans has now also become the dream of the company, which considers the project a good idea. There is even already a studio for it.
The Magic of Overwatch – perhaps soon on the big screen
Overwatch is one of the most popular brands from Activision Blizzard. A lot of effort from the company has gone into making the game so big: events, backstories, comics, and cinematics bring Overwatch to life.
In particular, the cinematics are extremely well received by fans. The idea of bringing a full animated film to theaters or producing a series is therefore quite close. For the first time, the plans are now becoming concrete.
Plans for movies have existed for a long time – even the studio exists!
Blizzard has been thinking about film productions for some time now. Last year, after the success of the Netflix series “Skylanders”, there was consideration of a series adaptation of Overwatch or StarCraft.
Activision has also revealed its plans to enter the industry some time ago. The makers of Call of Duty announced that they are making movies based on the shooter series. A series adaptation is also possible, to compete with Netflix’s Marvel series.
The company established a film studio back in 2015. The Disney veteran Nick van Dyk is in charge of the studio as Vice President. The productions should utilize the extensive universes of Activision Blizzard from the beginning.
Why wait any longer?
Overwatch is among the most popular games in the eSports sector. As such, it has a wide reach and many fans. Especially because Overwatch includes so many international heroes, the franchise has particularly great potential as a film: After all, Hollywood has discovered China as a cinema market in recent years.
Activision Blizzard is aware of this, which is why it pays special attention to not damage this reputation.
The production carries certain risks: a film adaptation can potentially harm the brand if it does not meet the requirements. Activision Blizzard therefore decided that a film will not be made if the script is not up to par.
Tim Kilpin, the head of Blizzard’s Consumer Products Group, said in an interview with MVC: It is not about just producing something that somehow brings money into the coffers. The company wants to use the film to increase its reach, attract more fans, and thus boost eSports among other things.
Obstacles
A major problem is that the film in CGI graphics strongly resembles Disney’s Pixar films. However, since weapons are used in Overwatch, the film will certainly not be a children’s movie – and will likely draw the attention of parent associations.
The goals thus require very precise planning. Until everything is perfect, Activision Blizzard will not implement the idea. It may therefore take quite a while until concrete plans turn into concrete actions.
Check out the latest Overwatch cinematic from Blizzcon: Glory and Honor, Reinhardt’s backstory!
