With the recent news that Sony has created a separate movie studio with the expressed purpose of focusing on creating full feature films based on iconic game titles, it comes as little surprise that Sony Interactive Entertainment and director Steven DeKnight have recently talked about making an R-rated God of War movie.
From its humble beginnings in 2005, it didn't take long for the God of War franchise to take the world by storm. What followed was yet another Sony Interactive success story that has gone on to spawn thirteen titles. While it wasn't clear at the time, it appears that Sony was testing the waters when it released a documentary detailing the production process behind the latest title. Given that DeKnight has worked on Pacific Rim and Spartacus, it's clear that he is no stranger when it comes to creating characters and events within varied fictional universes while intertwining history.
Though Sony has a large number of choices when it comes to directors, this news seems to indicate that it is willing to listen to anyone that it deems fit for the role, regardless of how many movies they have under their belt. In an era where directors have been able to spearhead movies simply because of their past success, it's clear that Sony is aware of the pitfalls associated with that. If the rumors are true and the film is a success, it will show others in the industry that directors who are passionate about the subject they are undertaking are far more valuable then those with loads of experience.
The news comes from a recent interview that Steven DeKnight did with Comic Book, in which he indicated that he has been asked in the past about directing video game related movies. He said he had always been a fan of the God of War franchise, saying, "I had some early conversations with the good people at Sony PlayStation about it and my biggest thing is, look, you gotta approach it like a book." While it isn't clear if Sony has made any agreements, it's evident that DeKnight has an eye for character selection as his choice of Dave Bautista as Kratos was well received through Twitter.
Given that many video game movies have struggled in the past, it's good to hear that Sony is trying to find individuals who truly love games. Nobody wants to be known as the person who ruined their favorite franchise and it's precisely for this reason why DeKnight would be a good choice.
Sony Entertainment is no stranger to failure within the movie industry and other film studios could learn a lesson from this and seek out individuals that are passionate about their product. When a person isn't invested, it shows in all areas of their work.