Hot on the heels of its Nintendo Switch port announcements, the Persona series has caught the eye of Sega. While not cast in stone, the Japanese publisher is looking to explore potential live-action adaptations for games developed by Atlus, as part of its plans to expand further into film and TV.
In an exclusive interview with IGN, Sega shared that a new and important part of its overall business strategy involves developing different storytelling forms. Atlus’ critically-acclaimed library of games, which includes titles like Shin Megumi Tensei, Persona, and Catherine, offers a good starting point with their lore-rich worlds, fleshed out characterisations, and overall vibrancy.
“Atlus’ worlds are filled with high drama, cutting-edge style and compelling characters,” said Toru Nakahara, Sega’s lead producer on the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movies and Sonic Prime TV series. “Stories like those from the Persona franchise really resonate with our fans and we see an opportunity to expand the lore like no one has seen — or played — before.
“Together, Sega and Atlus, are working to bring these stories and worlds to life through new mediums and for new audiences,” Nakahara, who is also Sega’s head of entertainment productions for film and TV added.
The news follows a recent slew of live-action adaptations of video games, with Sony bringing the likes of Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, and Gran Turismo to Netflix, Amazon, and an unannounced platform respectively. Another Resident Evil live-action adaptation will debut on Netflix on 14 July, while a second season has been ordered for the Halo live-action at Paramount Plus. Even Minecraft is getting a live-action film, with Jason Momoa currently in talks to star in it.
Atlus was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1986, and is famous for its character- and story-driven JRPGs. Persona is one of its most popular franchises, with Persona 5 becoming one of the best-reviewed RPGs of its generation. Considering the poor reputation of live-action adaptations, Sega’s plans are likely to be met with concern and apprehension from fans, even if it has found more success than others with its the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie. The sequel didn’t quite live up to expectations, however, so the feedback is probably going to be a mixed bag.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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