As Doom fans eagerly await November, which will (finally) bring the release of Doom Eternal, they might also be getting more of the Doom content that they crave in the form of a television series.
USA Network has ordered a drama pilot based on David Kushner’s nonfiction book, Masters of Doom, which tells the true story of the Doom video game franchise origin and its creators, John Carmack and John Romero, whose 90s creation rose to icon-status at the sake of their friendship.
James and Dave Franco’s Ramona Films and The Gotham Group are slated to produce the show, the former of which will likely appeal most to the fans of the franchise, with UCP as the studio. Masters of Doom is being planned as an anthology series, at least tentatively, with Gears of War writer, Tom Bissell, attached to write and executive produce the show.
According to Variety, Masters of Doom is a perfect addition to USA Network, with its focus on the stories of iconic American characters. The series is slated to kick off the network’s pilot season cycle.
It’s no secret that video games in most other mediums haven’t exactly been successful. However, because Masters of Doom is based on the true story of the franchise’s early beginnings and not a show based within the Doom universe itself, it should give fans a little bit more hope. Additionally, besides Gears of War, Tom Bissell has written for the Battlefield and Uncharted franchises, along with authoring the novel, Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter. With that kind of resume, it’s clear that Bissel knows and appreciates video games enough to at least have some insight into what Doom fans will want to get out of the show.
No casting information has been announced as of yet. John Carmack tweeted that he doesn’t really have much “influence” in regards to the show, but John Romero is wondering who might be playing him:
Pilot seasons generally takes place between May - June, as well as November - December, with seasonal episodes normally beginning this month. It’s unlikely that the just-announced series premiers anytime other than late 2019. Just keep holding on, Doom fans. It’s going to be an exciting time for you towards the end of the year.