The project is currently in early development, but as a condition of allowing Amazon to acquire the rights, a 'commitment penalty' was built into the deal.
The script is in the process of being written, and if Amazon likes what it sees, will be greenlit, bypassing the standard 'pilot' model.
Fallout Showrunners Lisa Joy and
Jonah NolanIf Amazon is not happy with what Nolan and Joy envision as the next phase of 'prestige television', they can pass, but must give everyone involved in these high level talks their payday anyway. This is a part of the Westworld's creators overall nine figure deal with Amazon to produce content for the massive streaming giant.
The series will be produced by Nolan and Joy through their Kilter Films label, in tandem with Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks. Todd Howard and James Altman, from Bethesda, will also executive produce the series along with Kilter's Athena Wickham.
In 1997 Fallout introduced the gaming community to a world devastated by a nuclear war in a future envisioned by a late 1940's / early 1950's America. In it's base narrative, the player is faced with the decision to follow the path of a morally bankrupt society that had squandered everything they had in the pursuit of power and control, or take a path to try and make the landscape a better place.
The lore of the society that led to the state of the planet the player finds it in on starting the game is summed up in the opening line of the game, “War. War never changes.” (FO4 aside, did you just read that line in Ron Pearlman's voice?) Among the trappings of what looks like a perfect world where nuclear technology has given the country a virtual paradise is a thin cracked veneer of the corruption, cruelty and insidiousness of it's leaders and the powerful elite class.
In their press statement, Nolan and Joy said, "Fallout is one of the greatest game series of all time. Each chapter of this insanely imaginative story has cost us countless hours we could have spent with family and friends, so we're incredibly excited to partner
Director and Executive Producer
at Bethesda Todd Howardwith Todd Howard and the rest of the brilliant lunatics at Bethesda to bring this massive, subversive, and darkly funny universe to life with Amazon Studios.”
Todd Howard, Director and Executive Producer at Bethesda Game Studios stated, "Over the last decade, we looked at many ways to bring Fallout to the screen, but it was clear from the moment I first spoke with Jonah and Lisa a few years ago, that they and the team at Kilter were the ones to do it right. We’re enormous fans of their work and couldn’t be more excited to work with them and Amazon Studios."
Also singing the praises of Nolan and Joy was Albert Cheng, COO and co-head of television at Amazon Studios. Cheng said, "Fallout is an iconic global franchise, with legions of fans worldwide and a rich, deeply compelling storyline that powers it. And Jonah and Lisa are the perfect storytellers to bring this series to life.”
As a Fallout fan for over 20 years, I can only hope what most of us hope when seeing news like this about some of our favorite content: Don't Mess It Up!
Are there any of your favorite franchises you would like to see given a television deal? Let us know in the comments below.