Watch Dogs is the latest video game franchise to receive a live-action adaptation. Ubisoft partnered with Columbia Pictures and New Regency for this ambitious endeavor, and the gaming community is rightfully skeptical about this franchise being translated from a video game to a film. Director Mathieu Turi recently announced the project has wrapped filming at an impressive rate.
Most adaptations are not well-received by the gaming community and critics alike. Hopefully, this adaptation will not suffer the same fate as other failed Ubisoft franchises like the Assassin’s Creed movie years ago.
The Live-Action Adaptation of Watch Dogs Has Officially Wrapped Filming
Aiden Pearce in a still from Watch Dogs (2014) | Ubisoft
⛶
A still from Watch Dogs (2014) | Ubisoft
⛶
Some consider this to be the best title in the series.
⛶
⛶
Watch Dogs battle royale didn’t even make it to a pitch.
⛶
The gaming community was surprised to learn the live-action project is not dead in the water and the producers found the leads in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes star Tom Blyth and Sophie Wilde. Most video game adaptations take a while before seeing the light of day; however, this project had a quick production which could reflect the final product’s quality.
Ubisoft entrusted this project to the director Mathieu Turi, and little was known about the film’s production. Fans were surprised to see the recent announcement of the Watch Dogs movie completed the filming process which could indicate how rushed the script was and the possibility of undergoing reshoots months before the world premiere.
The live-action ‘WATCH DOGS’ movie has wrapped filming.
Starring Tom Blyth and Sophie Wilde pic.twitter.com/grpkD8Ndxo
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 13, 2024
Blyth joined the cast with an undisclosed role around June which led many to suspect he has been cast as Aiden Pearce and principal photography began around July. The film only took at least 3 months to film which suggests the film will not have much content that would require the filmmakers. Either that or Turi immediately found what he was looking for to use in the film and was satisfied with what they had captured.
While the state of the Watch Dogs video game series is in limbo, it is up to Blyth and his costars to keep the franchise relevant and alive. Ubisoft is in a rough spot after the company stocks plummeted to a new low after Star Wars Outlaws failed to reach expectations and had a mixed reception from the gaming community and critics alike, the gaming company needs to weigh its options carefully and strategically.
The Watch Dogs Movie Could Reignite Ubisoft’s Interest to Continue the Video Game Series
Recent video game adaptations like Fallout from Amazon Prime Video and The Last of Us from HBO have given the gaming community faith that filmmakers now understand what it takes to authentically and faithfully translate these stories to the big screen without deviating from the established path or butchering the source material.
While details about this project remain unknown, it is said to be an original story set within the iconic gaming franchise. Unlike the live-action Fallout show where the producers treat it as an extension of the games, this movie could be a retelling of the events that transpired from the games in earnest and a few creative changes to add more depth to the characters.
Columbia Pictures and New Regency will likely schedule reshoots before the release in case of some last-minute changes. Perhaps the success of this film will give the video game franchise another chance to shine.
Ubisoft has a lot on the line for this project. This film could be the final attempt to bring back the gaming community’s interest in the Watch Dogs franchise before other major competitors roll them over. Hopefully, the film will do Pearce justice and offer a great viewing experience.
Are you excited about the upcoming Watch Dogs movie? Let us know in the comments section below!
