A new series is starting soon, which takes various video games as inspiration. Among them is also Pac-Man, but its episode is supposed to be different from what one might initially expect.
Which series is it about? Secret Level is a new series, which will soon premiere with the first episodes. It is an animated series that tells a new story in each of its 15 episodes. Various video games serve as the basis, such as Sifu, Warhammer 40,000, or Mega Man.
The first episodes will be released on December 10, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Two episodes will be released each week. The project is led by filmmaker Tim Miller, who was also responsible for the anthology series Love, Death & Robots .
One episode of Secret Level is supposed to stand out in particular. The episode with Pac-Man could surprise the audience.
The Showrunners Had Creative Freedom
What was done with Pac-Man? The little yellow circle seems like a cute character at first glance. Yes, he constantly goes ghost hunting in his game and always seems hungry, but he still comes across as a harmless fellow.
In his episode of Secret Level , that could change. According to the creators, the episode is quite dark and brutal. It differs significantly from the original.
Dave Wilson, one of the producers of the series, explains that the explicit goal was to show the most absurd version of Pac-Man possible. In discussions with rights holder Bandai Namco, the Showrunners were encouraged not to stick too closely to the original.
We talked to the developers at Bandai, and the mission was: ‘We want the audience to wonder: What the hell have they done to Pac-Man?’ And we said: No problem.
Dave Wilson via pcgamer.com
After that, the creative minds behind Secret Level got together and came up with something really wild. The script was sent to Bandai Namco and was approved without comments. Only the placement of a logo was, according to Wilson, determined by the company. Other than that, the Showrunners could do whatever they wanted with Pac-Man.
Already in the first trailer , you get a quick impression of how Pac-Man now looks in the series. He is no longer cute and yellow but seems to be made of metal. When he opens his mouth, the view shows rotating, sharp teeth. Who Pac-Man will devour in his episode is still uncertain. In any case, the sight already makes it clear that we must say goodbye to the cute glutton.
Is this usually the case? Not necessarily. Usually, rights holders strictly control what is done with their characters. After all, they want to ensure that the identity of a brand is not completely turned upside down. Tim Miller sees it that way too: “I think there is a whole range of people who want to control the process very closely.”
In the case of Pac-Man, Bandai Namco had a lot of trust in Miller and his team. But fans of other franchises also get their money’s worth. In the case of Warhammer 40,000, watching Secret Level is probably especially worthwhile: If you want to know how the story of Space Marine 2 continues, you need to watch a new series on Amazon Prime
