Beyond Good and Evil (the game) is getting the movie adaptation for Netflix

[Rhodan]

https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/31/21350181/beyond-good-evil-movie-netflix-director

Just saw it today. I must say the video game hit many of my buttons. Strong female protagonist, colorful setting, Japanese atmosphere, but Western execution. I hope the project comes through...

 

[Reverend]

One of my favourite games of all time (I own it on 3 platforms!) I'd call it an underrated classic, but it's garnered enough attention over the years I think for it to qualify as a cult favourite.

Not sure what to make of the idea of a series though. While there's no shortage of material to draw from the game's world building (assuming it's not just a straight-up adaptation of the game's story) it all depends on the execution. It'd certainly be nice to get the original voice actors back, though I won't hold my breath.

 

[Rhodan]

Not sure what to make of the idea of a series though.

As of now, it´s supposed to be just one film.

 

[Reverend]

Ah, right. For some reason I saw 'Netflix' and my brain just went straight to a series, even though it says "movie" right there in the article. Still, the points remain valid: curious as to the premise and how well it'll be executed.

I don't think there's been an especially good direct adaptation of a video game yet; mostly garbage, with a few "mediocre-to-OK" attempts, along with some "in name only" adaptations. As much as I might like to be optimistic, I've no reason to think this will be the one to break the pattern...but there's always hope.

On the one hand Netflix original movies have been VERY his and miss (though I really dug 'Old Guard'), while on the other they seem intent on just throwing money at wildly creative project that nobody else will back, so it all really comes down to the filmmakers...and how much Ubisoft will sabotage, because: Ubisoft.

 

[JD]

I really need to see if this is available for the PS4. I tried it back when it originally came out and I just didn't get it. At the time I wasn't very old and just wanted fast paced action games, and it was a slower more story driven game. As I've gotten older, I've started putting more of a priority on storytelling in the games I play, so I'm thinking I'll probably like it a lot more now.

 

[Rhodan]

Ah, right. For some reason I saw 'Netflix' and my brain just went straight to a series, even though it says "movie" right there in the article. Still, the points remain valid: curious as to the premise and how well it'll be executed.

I don't think there's been an especially good direct adaptation of a video game yet; mostly garbage, with a few "mediocre-to-OK" attempts, along with some "in name only" adaptations. As much as I might like to be optimistic, I've no reason to think this will be the one to break the pattern...but there's always hope.

On the one hand Netflix original movies have been VERY his and miss (though I really dug 'Old Guard'), while on the other they seem intent on just throwing money at wildly creative project that nobody else will back, so it all really comes down to the filmmakers...and how much Ubisoft will sabotage, because: Ubisoft.

I must say I have a soft spot for Detective Pikachu movie that this director has made.

 

[Reverend]

I really need to see if this is available for the PS4. I tried it back when it originally came out and I just didn't get it. At the time I wasn't very old and just wanted fast paced action games, and it was a slower more story driven game. As I've gotten older, I've started putting more of a priority on storytelling in the games I play, so I'm thinking I'll probably like it a lot more now.

So far as I'm aware the HD version was only released on PS3 & 360. You can however usually get it for PC fairly cheap on either Steam, GoG or UPlay, and really, the "HD" edition was just the exact same game rendered on better hardware, which is indistinguishable from the PC version on modern rigs.

ETA: I just checked the Uplay store and it's on sale right now for £1.46. That's the UK store of course, but one assumes the same discount is being applied to other regions.
Also: be aware that for whatever reason, the GoG version and (I think) the Steam version doesn't have controller support.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Off topic but did anyone else notice that the girl from Beyond Good and Evil looked just like Half-Life's Alyx?

 

[Reverend]

Aside from both having short dark hair...no, not really.
Alyx was designed to have a very specific ethnicity, while Jade was meant to be ethnically ambiguous. You look at Alyx and you can tell she has both African and Asian heritage. You look at Jade and you can read in almost any ethnic mixture.

 

[JD]

So far as I'm aware the HD version was only released on PS3 & 360. You can however usually get it for PC fairly cheap on either Steam, GoG or UPlay, and really, the "HD" edition was just the exact same game rendered on better hardware, which is indistinguishable from the PC version on modern rigs.

ETA: I just checked the Uplay store and it's on sale right now for £1.46. That's the UK store of course, but one assumes the same discount is being applied to other regions.
Also: be aware that for whatever reason, the GoG version and (I think) the Steam version doesn't have controller support.

I still have my PS3 hooked up, so I can just go that route.
I wonder if they'll work anything from BG&E 2 into the movie. I would be a nice way to give a little preview and promotion for the game.

 

[Reverend]

I wonder if they'll work anything from BG&E 2 into the movie. I would be a nice way to give a little preview and promotion for the game.

Difficult to say. The sequel has been in development for quite a while and there doesn't appear to have been any significant updates on it's progress in going on two years now, so there could still be a lot that's in flux.

But from what we've seen so far there seems to be a non-trivial time-jump between the two games (BG&E2 is actually a prequel) and they take place in different systems. Assuming they're directly adapting the first game's plot, the only thing I can see them taking from BG&E2 is perhaps some aesthetic cues and production design elements that were made for a much more photo-real than the cartoony style of the original. Plus of course the tone of the new game appears to be MUCH darker and mature in contrast to the very family friendly original.

Can't help but wonder though how one might compress the game down to just a 2 hour, three act movie. Not to give too much away for those who haven't played the game yet, but there's a certain character that's absent for a fair chunk of the action and for that to be meaningful in a movie, they'd have to work pretty hard making sure the audience is attached to them by the end of the first act.

The opening attack probably needs to be kept more or less intact as it sets up all the characters, their personal stakes at the Lighthouse, and the overarching mystery of "Shauni." Black Isle probably ought to be cut with the recruitment and exposition dump being all at the Akuda Bar hideout. The race, the Nutripils Factory and Slaughter House missions probably need to be merged into one sequence for the sake of brevity and would probably take up the bulk of the second act, with Selene being the third act following the low point in the Lighthouse ruins. Most everything else will have to either be abandoned to relegated to background noise, passing references and easter eggs.