Amazon Has Reportedly Picked Up A 'Disco Elysium' Television Series, Inspiring Trepidation From Fans

Amazon, in an apparent effort to continue its string of controversial television adaptations of popular IPs, is currently working on an adaptation of the critically acclaimed role-playing game Disco Elysium.

Yesterday, Deadline reported that dj2 Entertainment, the production team behind the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, has struck a deal with Amazon to produce television series based on Disco Elysium and Life Is Strange. dj2 first announced the development of a Disco Elysium television series in 2020. The company is also working on an adaptation of 2021 Game Of The Year award winner It Takes Two.

On paper, one can see why a production company might be attracted to making a Disco Elysium adaptation. Disco Elysium follows an alcoholic amnesiac detective named Harry and his partner Kim Kitsuragi solving a murder in Revachol, a fictional wartorn city, amidst polarized ideological factions. The largely-text-focused game features lengthy philosophical discussions on communism, capitalism, fascism, ultra-liberalism, environmentalism, and plays liberally with the supernatural. But, to many, this rich narrative was already explored to incredible effect in the game itself.

News of Amazon getting a television adaptation elicited trepidation from the game's fans, as many felt the multinational corporation was ill-equipped to do the game justice, particularly in the way the game handles some heady political issues. For example, one of the key subplots in the game is a group of unionized workers striking against their employer, and the player is tasked with resolving the conflict as they see fit while other characters attempt to influence their decision. Amazon has been widely reported to resist and quell unionization efforts in their own company, leaving Disco Elysium fans to imagine how the corporation may portray that subplot.

The politics of Disco Elysium, not to mention the game's incredible and complex storytelling, make the premiere of a TV series based on the game still feel like a long shot to many, despite Amazon picking up the IP.