News of a Days Gone film adaptation broke yesterday thanks to a report published by Deadline. Scottish actor Sam Heughan, primarily known for his lead role in the acclaimed TV series Outlander, will play protagonist Deacon St. John.
However, Days Gone creators John Garvin and Jeff Ross have already expressed their disappointment with this casting choice. It’s not because of Heughan himself, mind you, but they strongly believe that Sam Witwer, the actor who provided the likeness and motion capture for Deacon St. John in the game, should have been picked instead. Witwer starred in live-action TV series such as Grimm, Being Human, Once Upon a Time, and Supergirl, to name a few.
— John Garvin (@John_Garvin) August 20, 2022
On the writing side, Sheldon Turner is said to be penning the Days Gone film script. Turner received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win for his work with Jason Reitman on the adapted screenplay of Up in the Air. Turner also produces the movie alongside Jennifer Klein through their production company, Vendetta Productions. As with other live-action adaptations of PlayStation IPs, Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan will produce for PlayStation Productions.
Days Gone was first released for PlayStation 4 in 2019, with a PC version launching in 2021. Developer Bend Studio pitched a sequel to Sony, which refused. Bend is now working on a new IP that includes multiplayer and builds upon the open-world systems of Days Gone.
According to the Deadline report, the game has sold around nine million units to date. It wasn’t a critical darling, but I really enjoyed Days Gone, giving it an 8.4 out of 10 score.
Days Gone puts Bend Studio once again on the map of all PlayStation gamers after many years of oblivion. While it doesn’t deliver any meaningful innovations in terms of open world and gameplay mechanics, it’s a fun game that sports gorgeous graphics and a surprisingly great story/cast of characters, easily paving the way for a sequel to the stories of Deacon ‘the Drifter’ St. John.
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