Horror fishing game Dredge getting live-action movie adaptation

Dredge, the indie adventure game released in 2023 that paired Lovecraftian horror with video gaming’s ultimate activity, fishing, is being developed as a live-action movie, producers of the adaptation announced Tuesday. Working with Dredge developer Black Salt Games to make the film a reality is production company Story Kitchen, which was co-founded by Sonic the Hedgehog movie producer and dj2 Entertainment founder Dmitri M. Johnson.

Johnson is behind a growing number of video game adaptations, including the upcoming Netflix animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft and in-development projects based on Sega’s Streets of Rage, ToeJam & Earl, and Hazelight Studios’ It Takes Two.

Working alongside Johnson to bring Dredge to live action are Story Kitchen executives Mike Goldberg, Timothy I. Stevenson, and Dan Jevons. “Dredge is a captivatingly eerie and profoundly rich story that had us completely hooked from the very beginning,” Story Kitchen’s Johnson, Goldberg, Jevons, and Stevenson said in a shared statement.

“We are excited to partner with such an experienced studio team to bring the world we created to live action and ignite the imagination of audiences across the globe,” added Black Salt Games’ Nadia Thorne, Joel Mason, Alex Ritchie, and Michael Bastiaens.

Dredge casts players as a fisherman exploring a remote archipelago for a variety of fish and hidden treasures. Players encounter quest-giving island residents and learn about their past as they upgrade their vessel, learn new skills, and encounter increasingly unusual sea life.

In our review of Dredge, Polygon’s Nicole Carpenter said the game “masterfully balances two distinct tones,” pairing dark horror elements with cozy gameplay. Dredge is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.