‘Stray’ lets players take on the role of a cat exploring a dystopian city together with a drone. The game has been captivating not only cat fans since 2022 and is now set to be adapted into a film.
- In 2022, the American publisher Annapurna Games wowed the world with the cat game ‘Stray’ and gathered a ton of positive reviews on Steam. It currently holds a 97% positive rating there and has 62,000 players since release (via steamdb.info).
- Additionally, it garnered two awards for best indie debut and best indie game at the Game Awards 2022.
- Annapurna Games is a subsidiary of the film production company Annapurna Pictures. After Disney halted production, Annapurna Pictures brought the animated film ‘Nimona’ to Netflix.
Now the studio has planned a new project: the adaptation of the popular cat game ‘Stray’ in a cyberpunk setting. They want to maintain the unique perspective of the game and take on the challenge of turning the game into a story worthy of film.
Here you can see the game Stray in the trailer:
The studio takes on the challenge
This is what the studio has planned: According to Entertainment Weekly, an animated film based on ‘Stray’ is in development (via ew.com). In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Robert Baird, part of the management of Annapurna Animation, provided insight into the planning:
This game revolves around what makes us human and features no humans in it. It’s a buddy comedy about a cat and a robot, and there’s such a funny dynamic. So there’s comedy in this film, but there’s not a single human in it.
I think that’s one of the reasons why the game was incredibly popular, that you see the world through the perspective of a charming cat. How did they achieve that, and how are we going to implement it in the film?
We will make it happen, even if it sometimes seems impossible, but we know that that’s the essence of the game and the key to the narrative.
Robert Baird via ew.com
The developers have described Stray as ‘a kind of “Hopepunk” vibe’, explains Baird. It possesses a narrative concept in which optimism is a form of resistance. He loves the term “Hopepunk”. He believes it will be the first and greatest “Hopepunk film” ever made if the studio does justice to the adaptation.
‘Stray’ is the first title the studio is taking on for adaptation. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the second management of Annapurna Animation, Andrew Millstein, explains the reasons for choosing the game:
Firstly, it’s just unbelievably popular. People engage with the game for various reasons, and I think for us at Annapurna, who work with various creative people, it’s a mystery. What makes this game so popular?
Then there’s the question of how to turn a game into a longer story that is extremely respectful to both the game itself and the viewers, but also worthy of film? The process is always a challenge.
Andrew Millstein via ew.com
In addition to the film adaptation of Stray, Annapurna Games has more games planned. They have announced a game based on Blade Runner, which they are developing themselves this time.
The game titled Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth takes place between the events of the films Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049:
