Sony is eyeing another one of its iconic video game franchises for a TV or movie adaptation: Jak and Daxter. Uncharted director Ruben Fleischer confirmed that he’s currently working with PlayStation on an adaptation of the platformer.
“I’m actually working on Jak and Daxter, a version of that, for PlayStation, which I think would be really cool to bring to life,” Fleischer told Digital Trends in an interview promoting Uncharted.
Jak and Daxter is another series from Uncharted developer Naughty Dog and was especially popular during the PlayStation 2 era. It’s an action-platformer starring Jak, an elfish hero, and his half-weasel, half-otter companion Daxter. Despite its popularity in the 2000s, there hasn’t been a new installment of the game series since 2009.
A Jak and Daxter adaptation has been in the works for quite some time. In 2013, Blockade Entertainment was set to create an animated feature based on that game and the Sly Cooper series. It’s not clear if this is a continuation of that project or a revitalized one to coincide with Sony’s renewed push into video game-based movies and TV. Sony hasn’t officially announced the project, so details are scarce at present.
Notably, PlayStation series Ratchet & Clank did get the animated film treatment, which led to a successful video game reboot. A renewed interest in the IP could mean that Jak and Daxter could see a similar revival.
During the interview, Fleischer also reflected on his time working on another video game adaptation: A movie based on Spy Hunter, which has been an elusive project in Hollywood since 2003.
“At one point, I was attached to Spy Hunter,” Flesicher says. “I always loved that video game, but more conceptually, I loved the idea of a spy who’s so badass he hunts down spies. And needless to say, having a big red truck that totes you around … that always felt like it was ripe for adaptation.”
Fleischer’s current video game film adaptation, Uncharted, opens in theaters nationwide on February 18.
