Variety revealed that Compulsion Games has partnered with dj2 Entertainment to have a movie based on their Kickstarted project, We Happy Few. Gold Circle Entertainment’s Paul Brooks will produce the project alongside dj2 Entertainment’s Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons. Stephan Bugaj from dj2 will serve as executive producer.
Movie adaptations of games tend to be, well terrible, but We Happy Few has a few things that could prove it to be an exception to this rule. Set in a drug addled alternative history the story evokes enough of an Orwellian vibe to resonate with a wider audience. According to the Variety article, both dj2 and Gold Circle are currently seeking writers to develop the script.
“Our commitment is to make a movie that remains true to the source material, while still surprising fans,” Johnson said.
Outside of wide-ranging appeal, Compulsions’ retro-futuristic, dystopian survival game opens the door for an abundance of stories the movie could tell. What’s we’ve seen of the game is just the tip of the narrative iceberg. While We Happy Few focuses on the experiences of its three flawed protagonists, the narrative teases countless additional stories.
Hopefully the studio won’t make the mistake of trying to re-tell the games’ story. Typically this disrupts the personal connections players have forged with the characters. Instead this could be an opportunity to shine the light on other darkly humorous residents of Wellington Wells.
Ready To Take Your Joy?
YouTuber, Bloodrunsclear, actually edited together a pretty convincing fake trailer for a We Happy Few adaptation last summer. It’s a great example of how chilling this movie could be with the proper direction.
Having spent time formulating theories about the gameworld already, I’d love to see an Uncle Jack origin story. Someone please go write that now.
