Sega Is Looking to Adapt Atlus Games for Live-Action TV And Movies

Video game movies don’t exactly have the best track record but with the two recent successes of Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2, Sega is going all-in in looking at what could be their next big hit. Before you get too excited about an Ecco the Dolphin movie though, it looks like they’re going through game company Atlus’ catalog as their primary focus.

With an exclusive announcement to IGN, Sega is opening up the potential to Atlus’ library which includes popular series like Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, and Odin Sphere to possible live-action film and television adaptations.

Toru Nakahara, Sega’s head of entertainment production of film and television told IGN that he’s ready to take on the challenge of adapting Atlus’ properties and excited for the future.

“Atlus’ worlds are filled with high drama, cutting-edge style, and compelling characters,” Nakahara said. “Together, Sega and Atlus, are working to bring these stories and worlds to life through new mediums and for new audiences.”

In recent years there’s been an uptick in video game adaptions recently with Uncharted with Tom Holland and a Tomb Raider reboot with Alicia Vikander–with more to come, mainly from Sony, as God of War and The Last of Us are heading to live-action productions.

The first Sonic the Hedgehog was one of the last movies to hit theatres before the start of the pandemic, but set the record for the biggest opening weekend for a video game film in the United States and Canada and grossed almost $320 million worldwide. Its sequel, aptly-named Sonic the Hedgehog 2, grossed over $400 million.

Sega didn’t specify which production companies it’s interested in working with, just that it is currently exploring live-action film and TV projects with various studios and producers.