Amazon Studios partners with dj2 Entertainment for more game-movie adaptations

Amazon Studios is becoming a big player in entertainment, especially with its upcoming Amazon Prime show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power coming in September.

But it’s also jumping on the trend of turning video games into movies and TV shows. Today it announced a “first look” pact with dj2 Entertainment, which specializes in adapting video game titles for television and film. We’ve seen a lot of this happening lately, with the Uncharted movie from Sony, based on the Uncharted game series, opening in theaters soon. This is the usual transmedia strategy, except in reverse, as it has been focused on movies to games in the past.

“The dj2 team has long believed that video games would one day serve as incredible source material for stories told in television and film, and that it was only the lack of love and respect for the artform which previously held successful adaptations back, said Dmitri M. Johnson, CEO of dj2 Entertainment, in a statement. “Moreover, it is truly an honor to have Prime Video as our platform partner. A partner who truly supports us, as well as our grand ambitions, for telling the best international gaming stories with no limitations in how high we may collectively aim.”

dj2 Entertainment will create and produce content that will exclusively stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
 
“I cannot express enough just how excited we are to be working with the powerhouse team at dj2 Entertainment. Their expertise and skill in the gaming-to-screen market is unparalleled,” said Nick Pepper, head of studio creative content, Amazon Studios. “The possibilities are endless for what we can create together for our global audiences.”

dj2 Entertainment specializing in making in video-game-to-TV/motion-picture adaptations. Founded Johnson, the team includes Dan Jevons, Stephan Bugaj, Howard Bliss, and Tim Stevenson.

Their more recent projects include the record-setting box-office hit, Sonic The Hedgehog, with its sequel dated for an April 2022 global theatrical release, Tomb Raider: The Animated Series for Netflix, which has a two-season order (and is currently in production).

One of Amazon Studios’ latest original feature projects, entitled Coyote Blue, starring Sterling Brown, to be directed by Hanelle Culpepper and written by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad, and 2021’s Game of the Year winner, It Takes Two; all in addition to actively reactivating the next round of classic IP for Hollywood, such as Teddy Ruxpin and Sega’s Toe Jam and Earl.

dj2 recently struck a strategic video game-to-producer first-look with Swedish video game publisher, Raw Fury, to assist them in adapting their vast interactive catalog into television and film. Raw Fury is the prolific publisher behind such games as Norco and the indie hit Sable.

dj2 is represented by APA and Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP.