Prime Video’s Secret Level highlighted the potential of several popular video game franchises, and one is officially getting a movie adaptation by Sony. The anthology series did a stellar job of bringing numerous gaming IPs to life, as over 15 different video games were featured throughout Secret Level. Although not every episode managed to reach its full potential, it’s clear many of the games involved have cinematic and TV potential beyond short stories, which even Sony seems to have recognized as the company announced some of their biggest titles would be receiving fresh adaptations.
Given Secret Level episode 15 focused entirely on PlayStation games, Prime Video’s show felt like the perfect warm-up to see just how well these games could do outside their regular format. Some worked better as cameos, but others proved they deserved the chance to carry a fully-fledged story. One game, in particular, stole the show in “Playtime: Fulfillment”, and Sony has thankfully acknowledged this by confirming Helldivers is getting its own movie. After the franchise’s massive 2024, it seems like the future is bright for the action game, and Secret Level is partly responsible for unlocking its full potential.
Secret Level Showed How Fun A Helldivers Movie Could Be
Helldivers Was The Highlight Of Secret Level’s PlayStation Episode
Despite Helldivers only getting a few small cameos throughout Secret Level‘s PlayStation episode, the characters absolutely made the most of their limited screen time. The Helldivers’ funny quips and commitment to democracy perfectly highlight their personality from the game series, and their comradery at the end of the episode is easy for audiences to get a kick out of. Given there were some huge IPs that featured in “Playtime: Fulfillment” such as God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, and Ghost of Tsushima, the fact that Helldivers stood out the most is a testament to how entertaining it is.
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Although there is plenty of violence and many deep themes at play when it comes to the third-person shooter franchise, Prime Video perfectly displayed how fun Helldivers can be. As a result, a feature-length film would blow anything Secret Level done out of the water regarding the IP, and Helldivers’ cinematic spectacle has all the potential to be one of the best gaming adaptations yet. Therefore, assuming the live-action movie captures the borderline hilarious state of its main faction without trivializing the terrible acts of Super Earth, the franchise’s big-screen debut will undoubtedly be a massive hit.
What To Expect From Sony’s Helldivers Movie
Super Earth’s False Democracy Will Likely Be At The Heart Of Helldivers’ Cinematic Outing
Considering it was just announced, there are no details currently about the Helldivers movie’s plot, but expect a tale about liberty, freedom, and a false democracy. In the games, the Helldivers willfully serve Super Earth and battle factions such as the Illuminate, Terminids, and Automatons with the belief that they are keeping democracy alive. However, the reality of the situation is much darker, as Super Earth is an oppressive regime that restricts voting rights and even punishes those who request to manually vote for a candidate by sending them to a freedom camp and sometimes publicly executing them.
The movie seems destined to continue these themes by showcasing the Helldivers in action against their enemies while playing to the brainwashed nature of Super Earth’s soldiers. Embodying the elements that make Helldivers II one of the best co-op shooter games on the market won’t be easy, but balancing the somewhat light-hearted humor of the central characters with the franchise’s much darker themes is crucial, and they should be present in the movie.
Helldivers II is available to buy on PlayStation 5 or PC.
Beyond the political undertones, Helldivers‘ cinematic debut must be as action-packed as the games and shouldn’t hold out on the violence. The explosive weapons and ferocious creatures make the series a gory bloodbath at times and, mixed with its constantly entertaining lore, the Helldivers movie has plenty to expect that will captivate its audience.
PlayStation Has Plenty Of Other Video Game Adaptations In The Works Alongside Helldivers
Sony Announced Several New Adaptations, Having Already Had Plenty In Development
While Helldivers getting an adaptation is extremely exciting, it’s far from the only game PlayStation plans on transitioning into other media, as they already have many projects in the works. Alongside the Helldivers movie, Sony announced that a live-action Horizon Zero Dawn film is happening as well as a Ghost of Tsushima anime. Additionally, after the success of season 1, The Last of Us‘ second installment is set to arrive in April. The HBO show made a huge impression when it first arrived on-screen, and season 2 is set to continue the story by adapting TLOU Part II‘s controversial narrative.
After Kratos’ underwhelming cameo in Secret Level, God of War also has a TV show in development, while games like Uncharted and Twisted Metal have had previous projects.
The Last of Us isn’t the only PlayStation game with a live-action project coming in April though, as Until Dawn will hit the big screen on the 25th. After Kratos’ underwhelming cameo in Secret Level, God of War also has a TV show in development, while games like Uncharted and Twisted Metal have had previous projects, showing how busy Sony has been with their video game adaptations.
More will inevitably be on the way in the future, and even those that aren’t cut out for a full show or movie could feature in Secret Level, proving Helldivers is just one of many PlayStation franchises that have a large future outside the gaming industry.