The live-action TV series based on the post-apocalyptic world of the “Fallout” video games has taken a big step closer to production as Variety reports that Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner are now attached to serve as co-showrunners.
Robertson-Dworet is best known for her work on the 2018 “Tomb Raider” film starring Alicia Vikander and for “Captain Marvel.” Wagner’s past credits include “Silicon Valley,” “Portlandia” and “The Office.”
In addition, Jonathan Nolan will direct the first episode of the series. Nolan was a writer on “Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight Rises” and arguably his best work, “Memento.” Nolan is also responsible for giving us “Westworld.” Feel free to interpret that as either a positive or a negative.
The Amazon-produced “Fallout” series was first announced in July 2020. “Fallout” is a series of post-apocalyptic role-playing video games created by Interplay Entertainment and set during the 21st, 22nd and 23rd centuries. What made it truly unique was the retro-futuristic, atompunk environment and aesthetic, influenced by the post-war culture of 1950s USA. It beautifully encapsulates the mood of the time that was, in essence, happiness in the home through nuclear technology on one side of the coin and the lurking fear of total annihilation on the other.
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“Fallout 3” was the first incarnation of the game developed by Bethesda Softworks and available for consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360) and it was an instant sensation in 2008. Aside from a lackluster conclusion, one of the biggest draws was whether or not to save, or nuke, the town of Megaton as — for reasons best left alone at this point — it had been built around live, unexploded atomic ordinance. The game won critical acclaim and a number of awards, including Best in Show at E3 that year.
“Fallout 4” was released in 2015 to an overwhelming reception — and the game was exceptional, with the major addition of being able to build settlements in the wastelands surrounding bombed-out Boston. Unfortunately, Bethesda became fixated on that world-building to the detriment of developing future gameplay. A number of spin-off games were produced, including “Fallout: New Vegas” developed by Obsidian Entertainment, which was a huge underground hit.
The last entry in the franchise was released back in 2018. Called “Fallout 76” it was the first online multiplayer version of the game that originally had no non-player characters (NPCs). However, later updates added these and subsequent character dialogue.
In early 2021, Microsoft finalized its $7.5 billion deal to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda (who also produced “Doom”) but there’s been little news on the “Fallout” front since then.
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